
NEW COUNTY SEAL 

Of the County of Middlesex. Adopted by Vote 

of the Board of County Commissioners 

July 15, J 905 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX 



WITH BRIEF 



biographical Sketches 



OF THE 



Men Who Have Served the County 
Officially Since Its Settlement 



BY LEVI 5, GOULD 




SOMERVILLE JOURNAL PRINT 
1905 



.1 AUG1905 
D. of D. 



Commonwealth of Massachusetts 



In the Year One Thousand Nine Hundred and Four. 



[CHAPTER 238.] 

AN ACT 

To authorize the Printing and Distribution of a History of 
the Officials of the County of Middlesex. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in 
General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, 
as follows : — 

1. Section 1. The County Commissioners of the county 

2. of Middlesex are hereby authorized and empowered to 

3. print, at the expense of said county, the "history of the 

4. officials of the county of Middlesex," as prepared by Levi 

5. S. Gould, and to distribute the same without charge 

6. among the public libraries and other public institutions 

7. of said county, and among such other persons or institu- 

8. tions as they may see fit: provided, that the entire ex- 

9. pense of such printing and distribution shall not exceed 
10. seven hundred and fifty dollars. 

1. Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its pas- 

2. sage. 

Approved April 14, 1904. 



EDITOR'S NOTE 



To the inhabitants of Middlesex County : It is not intended 
to dignify the rambling- sketches which follow as in any sense a 
general history of Middlesex County; such an undertaking has 
been attempted by others, but without signal success. A great 
deal has been written, however, by a multitude of authors, 
among whom Samuel Adams Drake and William T. Davis are 
conspicuous, of deep interest to every American citizen, and it 
is to be hoped that some one of commanding ability as an his- 
torical writer may yet appear to collect the multitude of scattered 
fragments and cement them together in an harmonious volume. 
Much of the matter herein has been gathered from storehouses 
of information open to all who care to investigate, and have the 
essential elements of time and patience at their command. It 
was collated as a "labor of love," without the hope of fee or re- 
ward, and with no thought of publication for general circulation, 
but at the earnest solicitation of many citizens of Middlesex, and 
under the authority conferred by Chap. 238 of the Acts of 1904, 
is now published by the Commissioners, as a collection of por- 
traits and biographical sketches of faithful officials, considered 
worthy of preservation amongst the public archives and munici- 
pal libraries of the County. To this has been added certain in- 
cidents believed to be of public interest, and others of historic 
value to all the people of ancient Middlesex. Believing that like- 
nesses are of special interest in biographical sketches, every 
method which experience could suggest has been adopted to ob- 
tain them, and where they do not appear it is good opinion that 
none ever existed, or, if they did, have been lost through lapse 
of time or indifference, or at least cannot be identified if still in 
existence. The Editor regrets that any are missing. Portraits 
in Colonial times were very expensive, and therefore rare, being 
obtained only by bringing artists to New England from the 



6 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

mother country, or by going" abroad to meet them. About the 
period of the Revolution, however, miniatures and silhouettes 
were common enough, until the advent of daguerreotypes had 
revolutionized the art of picture making. The likenesses here- 
with are largely reproductions of family relics, which in the 
originals were a somewhat motley collection of paintings, litho- 
graphs, sketches, daguerreotypes, and photographs obtained only 
by the expenditure of many months of patient research and 
earnest solicitation. The signatures are mostly fac-similes traced 
from original official documents. The compiler has indulged in 
sentiments and opinions of his own, which, if seemingly over- 
drawn, should be excused as perhaps a superabundance of 
zealous admiration for the life work of the founders and patriots, 
and for all other elements which have contributed to the settle- 
ment, progress, and welfare of this most historic county. In 
addition to those who cannot be specially enumerated, he is 
deeply indebted to the New England Historic Genealogical So- 
ciety for the use of its superb collection of genealogical records ; 
to the State Librarian, C. B. Tillinghast, Esq.; to the Librarian 
of the Boston Athenaeum, Charles K. Bolton, Esq. ; to Horace 
G. Wadlin, Esq., Librarian of the Boston Public Library, for 
permission to peruse its valuable files of ancient newspapers ; to 
William C. Lane, Esq., Librarian Harvard University; to the 
American Library Association of Boston ; to Charles Cowley, 
Esq., of Lowell; and to Dr. Samuel A. Green, of the Massachu- 
setts Historical Society, for kindly information. 




Chairman 
County Commissioners 



Melrose, January, 1905. 



AN INCIDENT OF THE EARLY COLONIAL PERIOD 




Ordination of REV. THOMAS CARTER. First Minister of Woburn. 
From a Painting in the Woburn Public Library. 

Key to the Painting — The figure in the centre of the picture is a representation (ideal) of the Rev. 
Thomas Carter, when two lay members of his church were in the act of " laying on hands." The man with 
the belt represents Capt. Edward Johnson; the other is unknown. The ministers in the background are, 
from the reader's left hand, first, John Cotton of Boston; second, Richard Mather of Dorchester; third, 
John Eliot of Roxbury; fourth, at the side of the pulpit, John Wilson of Boston — the faces of these four are 
taken from contemporary portraits — all the other figures are imaginary. The man on a bench with his cloak 
slipping from his shoulders represents Increase Nowell, a magistrate whose duty it was to be present. Be- 
sides the ministers whose names have been mentioned, there were present Symmes and Allen of Charlestown, 
Shepard of Cambridge, Dunster, president of Harvard college, Knowles of Watertown and Allin of Pedham. 







JOHN WINTHROP, Gov. of Mass. Bay Colony. 
From 1629 to 1634, from 1637 to 1640, and from 1642 to 1644. 





OLD SEAL 



PRESENT SEAL 



Impressed upon the broad seal of the County of Middlesex 
is the following- legend : Incorporated A. D. 1630. How or 
when this historical inaccuracy occurred it is impossible to ascer- 
tain. The records show that Middlesex-shire, Essex-shire, 
Suffolk-shire, and Norfolk-shire were legally incorporated May 
10, 1643, the latter county not being the present Norfolk, but a 
count}' including the towns of Salisbury and Haverhill in Massa- 
chusetts, and Hampton, Exeter, Dover, and Strawberry Bank, 
now Portsmouth, in the province of New Hampshire. It is very 
likely, however, that the date of 1630 is intended to conform to 
the arrival of John Winthrop, who brought the new charter fix- 
ing the limits of what many are pleased to term as the original 
territory of Middlesex Count)', being from three miles south of 
the Charles river to three miles north of the Merrimack ; with a 
limitless boundary westward to the sea, in other words, stretch- 
ing for an equal width from the Atlantic to the Pacific! As it 
exists to-day, what an empire has been developed within those 
original lines, rivalling the wealth of the Indies! That charter 
covered the present locations of Troy, Albany, Buffalo, Dunkirk, 
Detroit, Kalamazoo. Chicago, Dubuque, Sioux City, Fort 
Taramie, and man}' other important cities ; it would take a strip 
out of the states of New York, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Ne- 
braska, Wyoming", Idaho, and ( >regon ; it would graze the bor- 
der lines of California, Nevada, and Utah, and through a claim 
to most of the waters of Lakes Erie and Saint Clair had the 
power to control the mighty commerce of the Great Lakes ! 




10 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

It was in 1614, six years before the landing of the Pilgrims, 
that Captain John Smith, on a voyage of discovery, sailed into 
"the opening betwixt Cape Cod and Cape Ann," now Boston 
Harbor, but at that time known only by the Indian names of 
•'Shawmnt and Mishawnm," the latter referring to the present 
location of Oharlestown. On Smith's return to England, he de- 
scribed the country in glowing terms to the Prince of Wales, 
later on the ill-fated monarch Charles 1., who gave the name 
of "Charles" river to its principal stream. In 1022 a royal pa- 
tent, which included Mishawnm and Shawmnt, was issued to 
Robert Georges, but it is not apparent that any settlements under 
ii were effected north of the Charles in the territory later known 
as Middlesex County. 




r &0?l<kco* t6% 



The charter of the corporation known as "The Governor and 
Company of the Massachusetts Pay in Xew England," under the 
provisions of which it became possible to settle the territory 
known as Middlesex County, was originally granted to John En- 
decott and others in the month of March, 1628. Subsequently its 
powers were enlarged and others granted shares therein, among 
them being John Winthrop. who came over as Chief Governor 
in the "Arbella," arriving in Salem June 12, 1630, Endecott's posi- 
tion thereafter being that of Local Governor. The officers 
sanctioned by the charter were a "Governor, Deputy Governor, 
eighteen Assistants" [a Treasurer, Secretary of the General 
Court, Major-General, Admiral at Sea, and Commissioners of the 
United Colonies], to be chosen by the Freemen at a General 
Court to be holden on the last Wednesday in Easter. The Free- 
men (or legal voters) were only such as were members in good 
standing of a church, so that heretics or irreligious persons were 
absolutely excluded from all participation in any affairs of gov- 
ernment. The territory conveyed in the words of the charter 
was . "That part of New England between Merrimack river and 
Charles river, in the bottom of Massachusetts bay, and three 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 11 

miles to the south of every part of Charles river and of the 
southernmost part of said bay, and three miles to the north of 
every part of said Merrimack river and in length within the 
breadth aforesaid from the Atlantic ocean to the South sea," etc. 
The first "Court of Assistants" was holden on board the Gov- 
ernor's ship, "Arbella," in Charlestown Harbor, August 23, 1630, 
and the first General Court was convened at Boston October 19 
of the same year. The General Court was to consist of the 
"Governor, the Assistants, and all the Freemen of the Colony,'' 
and was to assemble "four times a year/' when necessary, offi- 
cers were chosen and laws and ordinances enacted. Besides 
"ordering and dispatching such business as should from time to 
time happen touching said company or plantation," the General 
Couit was charged with "settling the forms and ceremonies of 
government and magistracy," the "imposition of lawful fines, 
mulcts, imprisonment, or other lawful correction," etc., partak- 
ing of a judicial character. As may be seen, this charter contains 
all the essentia] elements of pure democracy, and it was granted 
by Charles I., that ill-fated monarch who lost his head to the 
Puritanical sentiment of the mother country, which proclaimed 
him as a "tyrant, a murderer, and a traitor to his country" : 
nevertheless, to use his own words, this charter was granted "so 
that the inhabitants may be so religiously, peaceably, and civilly 
governed as their good life and orderly conversation may win 
and invite the natives of the country to the knowledge and 
obedience of the only true God and Savior of mankind." As the 
General Court was composed of all the Freemen in the colony, 
and the officers were annually elected by "show of hands," it was 
to all intents and purposes a town meeting presided over by the 
Governor or some other official. In the course of time the 
inevitable happened (just as it has in later days by the transition 
of towns into cities), as the population had increased by immi- 
gration and plantations had pushed out into the wilderness to 
such a distance from the common meeting place, that it finally 
became not only inconvenient, but at times positively dangerous, 
to attend the stated conclave of the court. In this dilemma, 
constantly increasing, the Freemen got together in their scat- 
tered communities and chose delegates from among themselves, 



12 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

clothing them with the power to do all things which they them- 
selves might do if personally present, except the right to elect 
"The Governor, Deputy Governor, Assistants, Treasurer, Sec- 
retary of the General Court, Major-General, Admiral at Sea, and 
Commissioners of the United Colonies,*' which right, except in 
the matter of obsolete officials, has been handed down to the 
present generation. The first meeting of delegates assembled 
in General Court on the fourteenth day of May, 1634, and they 
represented the towns of Newtown (now Cambridge), Water- 
town, Charlestown, Boston, Roxbury, Dorchester, and Saugus, 
which included Lynn and Salem apparently. As Virginia ap- 
pears to have adopted a similar method in L620, it seems to be 
certain that the above was the second body, composed of a direct 
and equal representation of all the people which ever assembled 
for the purposes of legislation. During a period of 270 years, 
through the entanglement of all forms of political intrigues and 
alliances, with the mutability of religious and social problems to 
contend with, the basic principle of equal representation em- 
bodied in that gathering has never been abandoned, neither have 
the people seriously considered such a proposition. In all the 
preliminaries attending the establishing of a permanent form of 
government by Governor John Winthrop, the arena was princi- 
pally in Middlesex County, and the actors therein were largely 
her citizens. 

The actual settlement of Charlestown, which formed the 
nucleus of Middlesex County, must be ascribed to Ralph, 
Richard, and William Sprague, three young gentlemen of mod- 
erate wealth and of a good family, who left "old England" as 
sailing companions of John Endecott, the intrepid, on his mem- 
orable voyage to Salem in 1628.* By permission of Endecott, 
these three brothers started out on foot and penetrated the wil- 
derness. They came to the junction of two rivers, where they 
found an Indian fishing village called Mishawum, now Charles- 
town, and it was they who, by consent of the aborigines, estab- 
lished at this point what may be justly assumed to be the original 
settlement of Middlesex County, in 1628-1629. Of the heroic 

"Some authorities contend that they came the next year. See memo- 
rial, Spragne family, by Richard Soule, Jr., p. 88 to 97. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 13 

band who followed them there, more than one hundred suc- 
cumbed to the privations of the winter of 1629, and the re- 
mainder, sick and discouraged, must have perished except for 
the timely arrival of Governor John Winthrop in 1630. During 
that year seventeen ships arrived, bringing 1,500 people, but 
they in turn were so illy prepared to withstand the rigors of the 
New England climate through lack of food, medicine, and shelter 
that more than two hundred died before winter had really set in, 
and manv others thereafter. 







'*^&^+^gy^c^^£ u 



At this point it is well to refer more particularly to the 
Sprague brothers. They were the sous of Edward Sprague, a 
fuller, of Upway County of Dorset, England. Ralph was about 
twenty-nine years of age on his arrival. He resided in Charles- 
town and Maiden all the rest of his days, and his tombstone, with 
that of his brother Richard, is still to be seen in the old Phipps- 
street burial place in a fair state of preservation.* The General 
Court elected him a Constable of Charlestown in 1630. In 1634 
he was a member of the first board of Selectmen, and in 1635 and 
afterwards — in all, nine years — he was a representative to the 
General Court. He was, in 1638, a member of the A. & H. A. 
Co., and in 1 r> 1 7 Lieutenant and Captain of the train-band. 
Some of his children were born in England ; three of them, John, 
Samuel, and Phineas, settled in Maiden, where each founded 
families, that of Phineas being specially prominent down to the 



*Joanna Sprague. his widow, according to ancient records, married 
Deacon Edward Converse, of Woburn, September f ( , 1662. Deacon 
Converse in his will made in 1659 mentions a wife then living, but as he 
did not die until 1663, probably the first wife died previous to 1662. — [Ed. 



14 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

present generation. With his brother Richard, he owned quite 
a tract of land at "Pond Feilde," now in the heart of the city of 
Melrose. It was occupied by his descendants during many gen- 
erations. He died in Maiden in L650. Richard, the second son 
of Ralph, was a wealthy and influential citizen of Charlestown. 
He was born in England. In 1674 he commanded an armed ves- 
sel during the war of that period, and cruised in Long Island 
Sound to protect the commerce of that section. He was repre- 
sentative to the Genera] Court in 1681, from which he was ex- 
pelled on account of the Andros episode, but was repeatedly 
re-elected thereafter. Captain of train-band, 1680, and deposed of 
his command in 1689 for upholding Andros. Sergeant A. H. A., 
1683. He died in 1703, bequeathing a handsome sum to Har- 
vard College and to other worthy purposes. Richard, the second 
of the three brothers, was perhaps the most prominent of either. 
He died in Charlestown, without issue, November 25, 1668. He 
was captain of a pinnace, on which he made many trading voy- 
ages, and finallv became a merchant. He was one of the Select- 
men, and a representative to the General Court in 1644, and from 
1659 to 1666. He was captain of the Charlestown Train Band, 
a member of the A. & H. A. Co., first sergeant in 1652, ensign 
in 1659, and lieutenant in 1665, and altogether quite a military 
character, as shown by his love for the sword he carried, which 
was bequeathed by him to his brother William, who in turn 
handed it down to his son Anthony. He left a large estate for 
the times, distributed principally to his nephews, but he left a 
bequest, among the first of note, to Harvard College, viz. : 
"thirty-one sheep and thirty lambs," probably to crop the college 
green ! 

William was the youngest, being barely twenty years old 
when he came. He married Millicent Eames, of Charlestown, in 
L635, and settled in Hingham in 1636, where he was Selectman 
in 1645 and Constable in 1661. He died in 1675. No stone 
marks his resting place. He founded a large and highly re- 
spected family. Among others, Judge Peleg W. Sprague, a 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 15 

Senator of the United States, was a descendant. While the 
Spragnes must ever be considered as dominant factors in the ex- 
ploration and first settlement of Middlesex County, truthful his- 
tory should not lose sight of the fact that they discovered, on 
their arrival at Mishawum, an "English house, thatch'd and 
palizad'd," inhabited by a smith named Thomas Walford, who 
"received them coldly." He had a wife, Jane, accused later on 
of being a witch, and three children. How he got there, and 
why he remained, has never been satisfactorily ascertained, but 
it was said that he manufactured articles contraband of war for 
the Indians; at all events, he was not in accord, spiritually or 
otherwise, with our Puritan fathers, who finally sequestered his 
estate and drove him into the wilderness. Previously to this he 
had been fined for some trifling offense, which he paid by killing 
a wolf! His principal offense seems to have been in remaining 
faithful to the Church of England, which in those days could not 
be condoned. Probably he was not a really bad man, as subse- 
quent history proves. He appears to have settled in the neigh- 
borhood of what is now the city of Portsmouth, where he became 
somewhat conspicuous in church and state, and died in Novem- 
ber, 1660, leaving a valuable property and a son of prominence. 
Thus it is that the first Englishman to establish a home among 
the savages of Middlesex County, and to live with them in peace, 
paving the way for others, became the first victim of the bigotry 
and intolerance of his own countrymen. He may have been an 
original settler under the patent of Robert Georges, as some 
authorities assert that he came to Weymouth with the "Wessa- 
gussett" colony in 1623, and that he went to Mishawum in 1625 
to '27, after the former settlement had been abandoned. 

Besides Thomas Walford the ancient record contains only 
the names of the following persons as contemporary with the 
Spragues at Charlestown in 1629, viz.: — 

Thomas Graves, a general expert in engineering, mining, 
and mineralogy, came from Gravesend, county of Kent, England. 



16 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

Engaged by the Massachusetts Bay Company, March 5, 1628, he 
came to Salem with Endecott, or, as some authorities assert, with 
Higginson, and shortly afterwards moved to Charlestown, where 
he "laid out the town in lots" and built the "Great House" in the 
square, previous to the arrival of Winthrop, by whom it was oc- 
cupied until his removal to Boston. It is believed to have been 
in existence as late as 1775, when the town was burned by the 
British. He is said to have been one of the Commissioners to lay 
out the town of Woburn, and that he became one of its first town 
officers, but the latter statement is open to doubt, as he has been 
frequently confounded with "Rear Admiral" Thomas Graves, 
who was a resident of Woburn in its earliest history, and became 
quite active in public affairs. Thomas the "Admiral" died May 
31, 1653, leaving a large estate. The technologial training of 
Thomas the engineer must have been of great service to the 
colon} 1 . The date and place of his death have not been ascer- 
tained. For some misdemeanor the Court of Assistants in lt>31 
ordered the house of "Thomas Graves at Marble Harbor to be 
torn down," and that "no Englishman" should "give him enter- 
tainment," thus making him an outlaw beyond the possibility of 
relief. 



/£?; 




r&uc^ 



Abraham Palmer, a merchant from London, came over with 
Higginson. He was Deputy from Charlestown to the first Gen- 
eral Court in 1634, and Town Clerk, besides holding other im- 
portant town offices, lie was a military man, and took part in 
the Pequot war as sergeant. He sailed in the Mayflower of 
Boston for Barbadoes in 1652, on a venture to be settled in Lon- 
don. He died the following year either in London or Barbadoes, 
authorities differ. p /? ^-» n 

(Mr. r^^iix^ 

Walter Palmer, was, without doubt, a younger brother of 
Abraham. September 28, L630, he was acquitted of the murder of 
one Austin Bratcher, who was killed on the Cradock farm in 
Medford "by blows on the head" during the summer of 1(>30. 
He was a constable of Charlestown in 1633. In 1613 he was in 
Rehoboth, and in 1646-7 the first Representative from that town. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 17 

In 1650 he was surveyor of highways there. In 1653 he removed 
to Stonington. His will was probated in the Suffolk Registry 
May 11, 1662. His descendants were numerous. 



A/VcWT&x rT> a^OUJ^ 



Nicholas Stowers, was one of the founders of the church in 
Charlestown, and also a member of the church in Boston in 1630. 
He was an active and useful citizen. He died in Charlestown 
March 17, 1646. 



0\f£o/cr4 J^/fc*^ 



Simon Hoyte, was originally of Dorchester, and went to 
Charlestown in 1629. In 1633 he was living in Scituate. He 
was of Windsor in 1639. of Fairfield in 1650, and of Stamford, 
Conn., in 1659, where he died during that year. 

Rev. Francis Bright was bred in Oxford, England, in 1603, 
and matriculated at the New College in 1625. With his wife and 
two children he came to Charlestown in the "Lion's Whelp" in 
1629. After remaining about two years, he became discouraged, 
and returned to England in 1630 or '31. 

John Stickline (or Stickling). He probably removed to 
Watertown in 1630, from which town he served as a juryman 
May 18, 1631. He afterwards appears to have removed to 
Weathersfield, Conn. 

John Meech (or March), was an inhabitant in 1628-29. 
John March, who may have been the same man, made a will 
which was probated in 1665. The latter John was a town officer. 
If he was not the "John Meech" mentioned, then all record of the 
original John is lost. 



Note. — These two men, Edward Johnson and John Mousell, were 
among the first settlers of Woburn.— [Ed. 



18 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

The hardships and privations which fell to the lot of the colo- 
nists were of the severest character. Gentle women, accustomed 
to the comforts of an English home, came with their husbands, 
and were obliged to endure the rigors of the seasons "in hastily 
constructed log houses, the interstices of which were rudely rilled 
with mud or clay." utterly inadequate to afford protection from 
the biting blasts of winter, and but scantily furnished with the 
commonest necessities of domestic life. Surrounded by "dreary 
wastes of fen and marsh," with dense forests stretching into the 
interior far beyond the knowledge of man, inhabited by hostile 
Indians, with myriads of hungry wolves and other savage beasts 
prowling about, they must have lived in constant dread and peril ; 
but this was not all ; famine stared them in the face, as their 
crops were almost a failure during the first two years, and they 
were obliged to subsist principally on shell-fish, mussels, clams, 
lobsters, and the like for meat, and on ground-nuts and acorns 
as substitutes for bread. Little wonder, then, that the ranks of 
this devoted band faded away through fever and the many 
climatic ills which afflict us to this day, even in the possession of 
al! the comforts of the civilization of the twentieth century. One 
witness and participator in their sufferings wrote: "Almost in 
every family lamentation, mourning, and woe were heard, and no 
fresh food to cherish them." Another witness said : "Many died 
weekly, yea almost daily." Amid all these trials and tribulations 
their heroic spirits were not broken, but only cast down, and they 
looked forward with abiding faith in the God of their salvation 
for that heavenly benediction which finally came as the harvest 
of their sufferings. The heroic struggles of these devoted 
pioneers were reflected a century and a half later upon the his- 
toric fields of ancient Middlesex, where their descendants, fired 
by the same self-sacrificing spirit of loyalty to God and their 
hearthstones, completed the fabric of political and religious free- 
dom which their forefathers, under the special sanction of the 
King of England, had unwittingly founded in 1629 and 1630. 

Among other things of interest in connection with the court 
records of ancient Middlesex, it is recorded in 1640 that Charles- 
town possessed "a Water-Mill near Spot Pond." 

The County Court held in "Charles-Towne" June 9, 1656, 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 19 

Mr. Bellingham, Deputy Governor and Captain David Gookin, 
Majors Willard and Appleton sitting as assistants, entered up 
the following judgment in the first divorce proceedings com- 
menced in the courts of Middlesex: — 

"William Clemence craving a divorce from his wife; do 
judge it not meet to grant them a divorce at present, but do order 
that they both owne each other according to their marriage 
covenant, and that upon complaint made such party as shall be 
found faulty in refusing so to do shall be severally punished." 

December 27, 1659, the court fixed the County Recorder's 
salary at £6 13s 4d for the year ! 

April 2, 1661, the keeper of the County Prison was allowed 
£5 per annum ! 

April 3, 1660, "In presence of the court," one Thomas 
Browneing, a burglar, was branded in the forehead with a let- 
ter B. 

June, Ki57, the Court passed an order directing the "com- 
mittee on erection of Misticke Bridge" to "impress any car- 
penters or sawyers for a fortnight's labor or less." This must 
have been identical in location with the bridge now existing at 
Medford square, over which the travel of northeastern Middle- 
sex and most of Essex and the province of Maine passed in colo- 
nial times. 

It is very evident that the custom of illegal voting is not of 
recent origin, as the General Court more than 250 years ago 
found it necessary to enact the following order : "It is ordered, if 
any person shall put in more than one paper or bean for the 
choice of any officer, he shall forfite ten pounds for every offence, 
and any man that is not free, pitting in any vote shall forfite ten 
pounds." It was a common custom with our forefathers to use 
Indian corn and beans as a substitute for written or printed 
ballots in voting for candidates at town and other elections ; if 
the kernels of corn were in the majority it indicated an election, 
otherwise a defeat ; in this manner the voting continued on one 
name at a time until someone was elected. The General Court 
also enacted the following: "Noe person, either man or woman, 
shall hereafter make, buy, or wear, any apparell with any lace on 
it, gold, silk, or threade, or any gold or silver girdles, etc," de- 



20 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

daring that the "excessive wearing of lace and other superflui- 
ties" tended "to the nourishing of pride and exhausting of men's 
estates." The "eating of cake or buns except at burials, mar- 
riages, and such like occasions" was also prohibited by statute, 
and so was the wearing of "short sleeves" by women, "whereby 
the nakedness of the arms may be discovered," and the wearing 
of "longe hair" by men, being "prejudicial to the public good, any 
one persisting therein should be presented to the next Court." 
The observance of Christmas was looked upon as a species of 
idolatry, punishable as a crime similar to those convicted of the 
"throwing of dice or the playing of cards !" It is a matter of in- 
terest to the present generation to know that flesh as an article 
of food, except in the form of fish or game, was practically un- 
known to the common people of New England, until after the ex- 
piration of the first century of immigration ; their oxen were 
necessary as beasts of burden, their cows indispensable for milk 
and the reproduction of their species, and their sheep for wool. 
Fowl were scarce and useful for their eggs, so that no domestic 
animal could be spared for slaughter. Hasty pudding, hominy, 
milk, and a sort of porridge, or compound of odds and ends, con- 
stituted the ordinary meal, baked beans and brown bread having 
been introduced at a much later period. Cooking utensils were 
few and simple, while knives and forks were not in common use 
even in the old country, until many years after the settlement of 
Middlesex ; the fingers of our Puritan ancestors being quite as 
handy as forks for the solids, while rude wooden spoons answered 
for the liquids and for other purposes. As late as the days of 
Queen "Bess," it was expected that each guest at an English- 
man's feast would bring his own knife, with which to carve from 
the food furnished by the host, eating the pieces from the fingers. 
Wooden ware was in common use, the well-to-do using pewter. 
Tea and coffee were not imported to any extent for several gener- 
ations after the advent of the first settlers. Coffee was not intro- 
duced into the mother country until more than thirty years after 
the landing of the Pilgrims, and tea as late as 1728 was selling at a 
price which prohibited its use except by the nobility or others of 
great wealth, viz. : at from eight to ten dollars a pound. The 
capacity of the farming community for the consumption of cider 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 21 

about the Revolutionary period must have been prodigious ; in- 
deed, many of them could have drank but little else. It was un- 
doubtedly used at every meal. Most of the farms during the 
later Colonial days were overrun with wild apple trees, the fruit 
of which was fit only for cider. It is related that a Carlisle far- 
mer rolled into his cellar one hundred barrels of cider every fall, 
taking them out to be re-filled the next season. As this large 
amount was all consumed by his family, it would furnish each 
member thereof with two and one-half gallons every clay in the 
year ! We have also the evidence contained in ancient wills, 
where provision was made for the support of widows, that about 
that amount of cider per capita was considered a necessity. 
In June, 1777, the Selectmen of Concord fixed the prices 
to be charged for all commodities, including labor. Common 
laborers were allowed sixty-three cents per day, and carpenters 
sixty-seven. As early as 1741 the Selectmen of Chelmsford es- 
tablished a similar code for the regulation of wages and prices of 
almost every article in common use. As an illustration of values 
164 years ago, wood could be bought at that time in that town for 
thirty-seven cents a cord ! All who varied the rates established 
by the Selectmen were deemed "monopolists and public enemies," 
and prosecuted accordingly. Legislation to restrict and punish 
monopolies is nothing new. 

Middlesex County, since the days of the Spragues, of 
Winthrop, and other pioneers of the Western wilderness, has 
become a mighty power in this Commonwealth. The dawn of 
the twentieth century casts its refulgent splendor upon more than 
five hundred and sixty-five thousand souls, scattered over an area 
of eight hundred square miles within its forty-three towns and 
eleven cities ; a population nearly equalling that of the County 
of Suffolk, its only rival within this Commonwealth ; greater 
than that of any city save New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and 
St. Louis, and outstripping the recent census of twenty-two of the 
states and territories of our Union ! The waters of its four prin- 
cipal rivers, the Charles, Concord, Nashua, and Merrimack, from 
their sources to the sea, probably drive more spindles than all 
others in America, and, it may be, than those of any four rivers in 
the world. Her first court house was burned in Cambridge in 



22 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

1671. History gives no intimation as to the erection of this 
building, but as early as March 3, 1635, Cambridge was desig- 
nated as one of the four towns in Massachusetts Colony where 
courts should be held, Ipswich. Salem, and Boston being the 
others. While it is certain that the Cambridge Court House was 
the first erected, it is equally certain that Charlestown also pos- 
sessed County buildings of some kind at a very early period, the 
location of which cannot be definitely fixed, but it is believed that 
they were on the east side of the present City Hall square. Con- 
cord was a shire town from 1692 until 1867, a period of one hun- 
dred and seventy-five years, and Lowell has been thus honored 
since 1836. For a brief period courts were also held in Groton. 
Her population is increasing with greater rapidity than any other 
county, two of her municipalities, Everett and Melrose (now a 
city), showing the largest gains in the Commonwealth by the last 
state census, and she has within her borders one-third of all the 
cities of the Commonwealth.* 



*It is interesting to note that no attempt to disrupt the territory of 
Ancient Middlesex through the formation of a new county has been suc- 
cessful, although the scheme was attempted as early as 120 years ago 
The following communication, never heretofore published, was and is 
to-day a convincing argument against such action. The insatiate and 
overpowering greed of the city of Boston, however, swallowed up the 
town of Brighton in 1S74, and the historic municipality of Charlestown 
disappeared from Ancient Middlesex and from the map the same year, 
from the same cause, after an honorable existence of almost 250 
years. — [Ed. 

Cambridge, 10th May, 1TS4. 

Gentlemen: The subscribers being appointed by the inhabitants of 
this town, a committee for taking all proper measures to prevent a divi- 
sion of this county, as requested by the inhabitants of the towns of Hop- 
kinton, Holliston, Sherburn, and Natick, beg leave to lay their reasons 
before you for your consideration, and to desire your co-operation either 
by a communication of your sentiments to us, or by an instruction to 
your representative. 

There are already as many terms n\ the supreme judicial court as 
can be attended with any tolerable convenience to them or the people at 
large, during that part of the year which is suitable for traveling. To 
multiply counties is therefore only increasing the evil and multiplying 
the embarrassments of a law suit, so far as respects an appeal. It is 
evident that the multiplication of counties necessarily increases the influ- 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 23 



( /J^'^f t ^ Jz&*^p£>u$&M4y 



All the glamor and all the weird and fancied charms of the 
dim and distant past are with us as we speculate upon the pro- 
found mysteries locked up within the relics of that amphitheatre 
on the banks of the Charles, where the hardy Norsemen are said 
to have builded a city and worshipped their Deities almost a 
thousand years ago ; or, as we conjure up the illustrious names 
and the glorious records of those pioneers of American civiliza- 
tion who with their descendants in many generations have 
adorned the bench, pleaded at the bar, or left the stamp of char- 
acter upon the institutions of this grand old county of ours : 
Thomas Dudley, Simon Bradstreet, Peter Bulkely, Increase 
Nowell, Simon Willard, of the long ago, and Edward Everett, 
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry D. 

ence of government, by increasing the number of commissions in their 
gift. We do not mean that it gives the laws greater energy, for, if that 
was the consequence, we should not object. But it increases that kind of 
influence by which any measures of government may be enforced, 
whether constitutional or not. It appears to us equally true that two 
courts cannot sit for the same expense as will suffice for only one court. 
Not only two sets of judges are to be paid, but all the inferior officers 
and attendants on a court, as well juries as others. Admitting that by 
the division there will be less business for each, yet there will be, upon 
the whole, an increase of travel and every other charge incident to the 
holding of a court, and, at the same time, a greater probability of the 
business being imperfectly done, there being in the case of little business 
but small encouragement to study and to understand the laws. 

You will also recollect that the support of county buildings and other 
charges of that kind will necessarily be increased by multiplying coun- 
ties. We cannot think that the increase of charge by an unnecessary, 
even granting it to be a convenient, multiplication of offices is wisely 
contrived at a time when the necessary expenses of government are as 
great as can easily be borne. There is undoubtedly a time when divi- 
sions of this kind may with propriety take place. That time will be 
when the business of the counties cannot be done in their present form. 
While it can be done, and through the neglect or incapacity of any offi- 
cer is not done, there is another and it appears to us a much less expen- 



24 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

Thoreau, James Russell Lowell, Henry W. Longfellow, all na- 
tives or residents of Middlesex County, with scores of others liv- 
ing and dead, whose brilliant thoughts in later years have en- 
riched the literature and ennobled the art of the Anglo-Saxon 
race. 

A brief review of the life work of a few of the early settlers, 
as well as that of some of the natives of Middlesex who have ad- 
vanced to a foremost rank in public service or in the develop- 
ment of commerce, mechanics, science, literature, or art, is in- 
teresting and profitable. Among the first is 



sive remedy. Upon the whole, if these or any other reasons which yon 
may think of are convincing to you, we shall hope for your support, and 
whether your sentiments he for or against the proposed division, we are 
desirous of a friendly communication of them. 
We are, gentlemen, with respect, 
Your very humble servants, 

JAMES WINTHROP, 
CALEB GANNETT, 
To the Selectmen of Littleton. WILLIAM WINTHROP, 



James Winthrop was a graduate of Harvard in 1767 (son of Profes- 
sor John); Register Probate from 1775 to 1817. He was fifth in descent 
from Governor John Winthrop. 

William Winthrop was a graduate of Harvard in 1770 (son of Pro- 
fessor John, of Harvard); Register Deeds, 1784 to 1794. He was a brother 
of James. 

Caleb Gannett was a public-spirited citizen of Cambridge. — [Ed. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 25 

Rev. John Harvard t 



6°tr 






Whose name is as common as a household word, yet of 
whom little is known save that he was born near St. Saviour's 
Church, Southwark, a suburb of London, where the entry of his 
baptism still exists in the church register, with the date, Novem- 
ber 29, 1607. His father seems to have "purveyed meat until the 
plague removed him." The son matriculated at Emmanuel Col- 
lege, Cambridge, married Anne Sadler, and became a Puritan 
minister, but does not appear to have had a settlement. He was 
possessed of a modest inheritance, and came to this country ac- 
companied by his wife in 1637. He was a young man of not 
more than thirty years, and in delicate health. Shortly after his 
arrival, he united with the First Church in Charlestown, and died 
of consumption the following year, September 11, 1638, leaving 
one-half his worldly estate, viz., £770, and a library of three hun- 
dred volumes to a school which the General Court had previ- 
ously agreed to establish and endow with the sum of £400. This 
"school or college," was ordered by the Court on November 1-3, 
1637, to be established at "Newe Towne." With the money, of 
which it is doubtful if the college received more than one-half, 
and the library thus donated, buildings were erected and fur- 
nished, and a career initiated which, in the Providence of Al- 
mighty God, has advanced this humble "school or college" to the 
front rank of educational institutions in America. In grateful 
remembrance of its benefactor, the name of "Harvard" was at- 
tached to the infant institution, and that of "Cambridge" to the 
little hamlet of "Newe Towne," in token of the famous English 
university from which he graduated. In the Phipps-street burial 
ground at Charlestown, an interesting relic of Colonial days, the 
curious may view a modest monument, upon which is inscribed 
the name of this foremost American benefactor of science, litera- 
ture, and the arts. Many have and others may excel the sum 
of his dowry, but none can ever approach the mighty influence 
which has resulted from that timely, though humble, contribution 
to the majesty of education and the dignity of human attainments. 



26 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

Col. Loammi Baldwin, 

Third in descent from Henry Baldwin, a subscriber to the 
"Town Orders" for Wobnrn in 1640. He was born in North 
Woburn, January 10, 1744. and died there October 10, 1807, aged 
sixty-three. From an enlisted man in 1775, he was rapidly pro- 
moted to the colonelcy of the Twenty-sixth Massachusetts Regi- 
ment, in the command of which he participated in the re-crossing 
of the Delaware and in the Battle of Trenton. He was in 1780 
the first Sheriff of Middlesex County after the adoption of the 
constitution, and it was while he held this office that his duties 
called him to an obscure section of the little town of Wilmington, 
where his attention was attracted by an extraordinary gathering 
of woodpeckers upon an apple tree which stood by itself in an 
open field. ( )n investigation, he discovered that the fruit of the 
tree was of an excellent, but unknown, variety. Gathering 
scions, he not only grafted them upon his own trees, but scat- 
tered them broadcast throughout the County of Middlesex. In 
this way was brought to public notice the "Baldwin" apple, un- 
surpassed in hardihood and productiveness, which has added mil- 
lions to the farmers' revenue throughout the North, and after the 
expiration of a century of cultivation, stands without a peer as a 
winter fruit. The original tree was destroyed by a severe gale 
in 1815. It was a chance production without the intervention of 
man, and may be claimed as indigenous to the soil of ancient 
Middlesex and a veritable boon to the science of pomology.* 
He was Representative from 1778 to 1779 and from 1800 to 1805. 

*In a letter written by Colonel Baldwin to Count Rumford Novem- 
ber I. L799, is the following interesting reference, viz.: "In the cask of 
"fruit .... there are half a dozen apples of the growth of my farm. 
"wrapped up in papers with the name of Baldwin apples written upon 

"them It would gratify me much to know the true English name 

"for them. However. I rather doubt whether the nice character of this 
"apple will answer exactly to any particular species of the English fruit, 
"as it is (as I believe) a spontaneous production of this country." 




BENJAMIN THOMPSON, Count of Rumford. 
See page 31. 




HON. LOAMMI BALDWIN, JR., " Father of Civil Engineering in America." 
In 1825, Designer of the Shaft Erected on Bunker Hill, and from 1827 to 1834 Builder of the 
Famous Dry Docks at the Charlestown and Norfolk Navy Yards. Born in Woburn, May 
16, 1780. Died in Charlestown, June 30, 1838, aged 58. 

Photographed by Baldwin Coolidge of Boston from a Painting by Chester Harding, the 
Property of Mrs. Wm. A. Griffiths of Quebec, Canada. See page 29, 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 29 

Colonel Baldwin is also noted as a promoter and one of the 
principal constructors of the famous Middlesex canal (the first of 
its kind in America) which connected the Merrimack with the 
Charles. It was commenced in 1794 (Colonel Baldwin digging 
the first spadeful of turf September 10), and completed in 1803. 
October 3, 1859, the Supreme Court declared the franchise for- 
feited, the canal having been abandoned. 

He was the friend, companion, and schoolmate of Benjamin 
Thompson, Count of Rumford, elsewhere mentioned, and was 
honored with a degree by Harvard. The Baldwin ancestral man- 
sion is now standing, and is pronounced one of the finest exam- 
ples of colonial architecture in New England. It is said to be 
the oldest house in town. Colonel Baldwin was the father of 

Hon. Loammi Baldwin, Jr., 

<^Z^ (JO CL^sturrn-' 

Born May 16, 1780, fitted for college at Westford Academy, 
and graduated at Harvard, class of 1800, in which was Wash- 
ington Allston, the artist (a bosom friend), and Chief Justice 
Lemuel Shaw. He essayed the profession of law, but while 
studying with Hon. Timothy Bigelow, at Groton, was confronted 
with a new light, which changed his whole course in life, and 
gave to his country the services of one who has been proclaimed 
by competent authority as the "Father of Civil Engineering in 
America." The incident at Groton was as follows: A disastrous 
fire having occurred in the village, which might have been pre- 
vented by suitable fire appliances, the young student went to 
work and constructed with his own hands in 1802 a fire engine, 
which Dr. Samuel A. Green, the eminent historian of Groton, as- 
sures us was in perfect working order, and could throw a stream 
over any building in town eighty-seven years after its construc- 
tion, ahd it is in active commission to-day, after the expiration 
of one hundred and two years of service. 

Relinquishing the study of law, he devoted himself to me- 
chanics and engineering. Two noted memorials to his skill in 
constructon have stood the test of time, viz., the dry docks at the 



30 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

navy yards in Charlestown and Norfolk, both of which in their 
class are unexcelled to this day. When consulted regarding 
the former, he was in doubt, and said to the Secretary of the 
Treasury: " What if I should fail?" " Then we will hang you, " 
was the laconic reply. These docks were built between 1827 
and 1834. 

With Professor George Ticknor, Dr. Jacob Bigelow, Samuel 
Swett, and Washington Allston, he served upon a committee, of 
which he was chairman, and reported to the monument associa- 
tion on July 1, 1825. a specific plan for the building of an obelisk 
on Bunker Hill, which plan was adopted and the shaft erected. 
He was Treasurer of the town of Cambridge in 1816, Councillor 
in 1835, and Presidential Elector in 1836, casting his vote for 
Daniel Webster. He died in Charlestown June 30, 1838, aged 
fifty-eight. 

Hon. Richard Sanger of Sherborn 

Deserves more than passing notice, and so also does Rev. 
Samuel Porter, who was settled in that town as its third minister 
in 1734. Upon the farm of Captain Samuel, a son of Richard, 
originated the famous "Porter" apple, second to none of its class. 
Some accounts state that it was a product of the farm of Mr. 
Porter, who perhaps lived upon the property at that time, but all 
agree that the name came from him, and that both he and the 
captain distributed the scions from the tree both far and wide. 
As late as 1830, the stump of the original tree might still be seen 
upon the Sanger estate. Richard Sanger was elected a Repre- 
sentative to the Continental Congress, convened in Cambridge 
February 1. 1775, With Rev. Samuel Locke, president of Har- 
vard from 1770 to 1773, and Jedediah Phipps, who manufactured 
saltpetre for the Continentals, he was of the committee of corre- 
spondence. His son, Captain Samuel, was an inn keeper, and is 
represented to have been a man of deep piety. He had the honor 
of entertaining General Washington while passing through Sher- 
born. Like the "Baldwin," the "Porter" apple was indigenous 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 31 

to the soil of ancient Middlesex, although it originated at the op- 
posite end of the county. As a favorite autumn fruit, it has 
maintained a commanding position for more than one hundred 
and fifty years, and honored the pomological standing of the 
town and county which gave it birth. 

Sherborn is an ancient settlement, to which was called as the 
first minister in 1679 Daniel Gookin, Jr., a graduate of Harvard, 
and son of Major-General Daniel Gookin, Superintendent of the 
Praying Indians of the Apostle Eliot. The town was settled in 
1652 and incorporated in 1674. It is said that the first cider-mill 
in the colony was established here, and it is also claimed that the 
most extensive one in America is in operation there to-day. 

Among the many who have broadened the avenues of 
science, we may point to 

Benjamin Thompson, Count of Rumford* 




A Middlesex boy of the Colonial period, born March 26, 
1753, in a Woburn farmhouse now standing. A descendant in 
the fifth generation from Lieutenant James Tompson, who came 
over with "Winthrop in 1630, was a member of the first Board of 



*Benjamin Thompson, Count of Rumford. Knight of the illustrious 
orders of the White Eagle and of St. Stanislaus, Lieutenant- General in 
the service of His Majesty the King of Bavaria. 

Note. — The foregoing titles were attached to Rumford's will, wherein 
Harvard College was made his residuary legatee, and out of which was 
established the "Rumford Professorship." The signature is a fac-simile 
of the one attached to a gift of $5,000 to the American Academy of Arts 
and Sciences. It has been truly said that to the country of his birth he 
bequeathed his fortune and his fame. — [Ed. 



32 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

Selectmen of Woburn in 1644, and died September 14, 1693. 
The mother of Benjamin was left a widow when her child was 
less than two years old. She was descended from William Si- 
monds, an original settler, her father being Lieutenant James 
Simonds, who served with great bravery in the French and Eng- 
lish wars. 



&W**>*4t/?'»i*x£ 



Her boy had but brief opportunities for schooling, but 
at the age of fourteen, according to his own statement, he had 
calculated a solar eclipse within four seconds of accuracy. At 
the age of thirteen he had left school and was bound out as an 
apprentice, but used every available moment to improve his mind. 
In 1768 and 1769 he was teaching school in Wilmington, and in 
1770, at the age of seventeen, he also taught at Rumford, N. H., 
now the city of Concord, where his friendship with Wentworth, 
the Rovalist governor, caused him to become an object of sus- 
picion to the patriots, by whom he was placed under arrest, but 
reluctantly released through the efforts of his bosom friend, 
Loammi Baldwin. Later on he was proclaimed as an enemy to 
his country, and his estate was sequestered. Protesting his inno- 
cence, and stung to the quick by these accusations, he hastily and 
perhaps umvisely left for England just prior to the Revolution, 
where his skilful address and superior abilities attracted the at- 
tention of George the Third, by whom he was knighted, and later 
on he became Minister of War and Grand Chamberlain to 
Charles Frederick, the Elector of Bavaria, and finally, as Count 
Rumford "of the Holy Roman Empire," a title conferred by his 
friend, the Elector, became renowned the world over as an en- 
lightened philanthropist and a most eminent man of science. 
His death occurred at Auteuil, in France, August 21, 1814, aged 
sixty-two. While he was still living, the citizens of Munich 
erected a beautiful cenotaph, surmounted by a statue, commemo- 
rative of his distinguished services in behalf of the people of 
Bavaria. It is erected upon a spot which his genius had trans- 
formed from a repulsive waste to an earthly paradise, and bears 
upon its several sides these inscriptions: — 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 3:} 

"Stay, Wanderer! 

"Rumfofd, the Friend of Mankind, 
"By Genius,- Taste, and Love inspired, 
"Changed this once Desert Place 
"into what thou now beholdest. 

"To him 
"Who rooted out flie greatest of 

"public Evils, 
"Idleness and Mendicity, 
"Relieved and instructed the Poor. 
"And founded many Institutions 
"For the Education of our Youth. 

"Go, Wanderer, 
"And strive to equal him 
"In Genius and Activity, 

"And us 
"In Gratitude." 

A replica of this memorial stands in the grounds of the public 
library building at Woburn, the gift of a public-spirited citizen, 
and from it the likeness was taken which is introduced herewith. 

Elias Howe, 

Who established his claim as inventor of the sewing 
machine, while working in Lowell, in company with an inventive 
genius named Wackenfeldt, who was employed by the Merrimac 
corporation, perfected some of the important features of his 
machine, out of which he finally received in royalties not less 
than two million dollars, while his former assistant remained in 
humble circumstances. 

Charles Goodyear, 

Noted the world over as a pioneer in the modern process of 
treating India rubber, lived in Woburn while experimenting with 
the vulcanizing compound. Meeting with repeated failure, he 
became so poor that he had no money with which to decently 
bury a dead child, the corpse being carted to the grave in a job- 



34 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

wagon. Both he and his family would have starved, had not 
a kind-hearted neighbor relieved his urgent necessities with a 
loan of three dollars when all others denounced and passed him 
by as a vain and delusive dreamer. His experiments were con- 
ducted in the old silk mill at East Woburn, and success finally 
came as the result of an accidental placing of a lump of his com- 
position upon a hot stove, by which it was vulcanized, thus re- 
vealing the proper treatment. He had previously been unsuc- 
cessful in business, having failed in 1830, and during the next ten 
years was many times imprisoned for debt. Others profited by 
his inventions, and while he was decorated with high honors by 
the leading powers of Europe, he died comparatively poor. 

Alvan Clark t 

As early as 1826, was working ten hours a day for nine 
dollars a week, as an engraver in a mill at East Chelmsford, now 
Lowell. His marriage, from which a son was born in Lowell, 
was the first one recorded in that town. After concluding his 
contract, he painted portraits and miniatures until 1844, when, 
in company with his son, who had obtained some experience at 
Andover, he commenced the manufacture of telescopes in Cam- 
bridge, where they produced some of the most famous and 
powerful astronomical instruments of their day, rivaling the 
work of lense grinders in all ages. 

Samuel F. B. Morse 




Was another native of Middlesex, whose birthplace, the 
Edes Mansion, may still be seen on Main street, Charlestown. 
This building is an historic edifice, being the first house erected 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 35 

after the wanton destruction of the town by the British during 
the battle of Bunker Hill. He was born April 27, 1791, and died 
April 2, 1872, aged eighty-one. His father was Rev. Jedediah 
Morse, a noted minister of the First Church in Charlestown, 
where he preached from 1789 to 1820. He was also distin- 
guished as the "Father of American Geography." At the age of 
fourteen, Samuel entered Yale College. After his graduation, 
he became a pupil of Washington Allston, the greatest American 
artist of his period. ( )ne of Morse's creations, "The Dying 
Hercules," exhibited in 18] 3 at the Royal Academy, London, 
received the gold medal of the Adelphi Society of Arts. His 
success as a painter, while considerable, did not equal his ambi- 
tions, and he turned to electro-magnetism, a science in which he 
had previously experimented. The investigations of this re- 
markable genius finally produced the electric telegraph, thus 
harnessing for the purposes of man an element to be so widely 
developed in later years as to stamp him as the principal inventive 
benefactor of his age. It is seventy years since he entered the 
wilderness of electricity to develop and conserve its subtle power. 
Others have followed, but their brilliant achievements have failed 
to eclipse the marvelous triumphs of those early instruments, 
which, at the magical touch of the master's key, girdled the earth 
with human thought, and to this day are supreme in command 
of the telegraphic art. 

Let us turn for patriotic inspiration to that never-to-be-for- 
gotten genius of our own times, the "Autocrat of the Breakfast 
Table," 

Oliver Wendell Holmes, 

An illustrious son of Middlesex, born opposite the college 
green in the historic house of his sire, a famous minister of Cam- 
bridge. This mansion was selected by Artemus Ward, general- 
in-chief of the Continental army, as his headquarters immediately 
succeeding the battle of Lexington, and within its walls was 
planned the occupation of Bunker Hill. Therein was also written 



36 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

that stirring and wonderful hymn dedicated to "Old Ironsides." 
In this house Washington frequently consulted with his generals 
and from it the lamented patriot. Dr. Joseph Warren, who, 
though he had been commissioned a Major-General, and was 
President of the Provincial Congress, then in session at Water- 
town, went out never to return, on the memorable morning of the 
Seventeenth of June, 1775, to take part in the eventful battle of 
Bunker Hill. Half sick and greatly fatigued, he stopped here in 
the hours of the early dawn for rest and refreshment. It is 
known that he spent the entire day and a portion of the evening 
attending to bis Congressional duties, and it has been asserted 
that the balance of the night was passed in the practice of his pro- 
fession, administering in a case of child-birth — a striking ex- 
ample of the scriptural injunction, "in the midst of life we are in 
death." 



Oliver Holden, 



^^^^^^ri 




Of Charlestown, was another Middlesex County boy of the 
Colonial and Revolutionary period. Born in the little agricul- 
tural town of Shirley, September 18, 1Tf>.">, he was for many years 
a carpenter and contractor, finally drifting through natural 
affinity into the business of music selling and publishing. In 
17 ss, at the age of twenty-three, he went to Charlestown, where 
he supported himself for a period by hard work with the saw and 
plane, gifted in the spirit of harmony, but quite unknown to 
fame. In 1793 he published a collection of sacred music, under 
the title of "Union Harmony," in which appeared the music of 
"Coronation," with words ascribed to "Rev. Mr. Medley." This 
must have been a plagiarism, as the original hymn was written in 
1780, by Rev. Edward Peronnet, an English non-conformist, who 
died in Canterbury in 1792, without having listened to the inspir- 
ing melody of bis immortal song, as rendered by the genius of 
Oliver Holden. In the wide range of Christian harmony, no 
hymn of the century appeals more directly to the reverential emo- 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 37 

tions of the human soul, or inspires loftier sentiments of devout 
adoration from those untold millions who "hail the power of 
Jesus' name and crown him Lord of all." The tune was first 
sung- at the dedication of the Pearl-street Church in Charlestown, 
which stood nearly opposite the house where the composer passed 
away, September 4, 1844, aged seventy-nine. He was Worship- 
ful Master of King Solomon's Lodge, A. F. and A. M., of 
Charlestown, from 1797 to 1800. 

Hon, Ephraim Wales Bull, 

( )f Concord, was born in Boston March 4, 1806. He was a 
gold-beater by trade, and conducted the business in Boston, until 
ill health induced him to settle in Concord about the year 1830. 
Here he was interested in horticulture, but continued to carry on 
his trade for several years with a few workmen. Observing a 
vine which had sprung up and grown to maturity on his land, 
evidently a seedling of the native Fox grape of New England, he 
found the fruit better than the wild grape, upon which he planted 
its seed as an experiment, obtaining in 1849 a grape which has 
revolutionized the viticulture of North America, forcing its way 
into every garden and vineyard of consequence in the temperate 
zone from the Atlantic to the Pacific, being hardy throughout the 
North. It was introduced commercially by Mr. Hovey, the dis- 
tinguished horticulturist, in 1853. As soon as its merits became 
generally known, it was pronounced the most important type of 
the American grape, a position from which, after half a century 
of cultivation, it has not been dethroned. Indigenous to the soil 
of ancient Middlesex, it shares high honors with the Baldwin and 
Porter apples, contributing with them satisfaction to the con- 
sumer, while adding millions to the coffers of cultivators, not 
only in New England, but throughout the great West. The 
original vine is still preserved through a sucker from its roots. 
Beyond the fame attached to the production of a variety of uni- 
versal merit, Mr. Bull received little of substantial value from his 
important discovery, others reaping most of the pecuniary re- 
wards. In political matters Mr. Bull was very active as a Whig 
in the campaign of 1840, and as a "Native American" in 1850 



38 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

and 1857, being a member of the House of Representatives in 
the former year, and a Senator in 1857. He was a member of 
the State Board of Agriculture twelve years, Chairman of Se- 
lectmen, and a useful member of the school committee of Con- 
cord. Surviving to a great age, outliving his family, and being 
unable to work or to care for his estate, it faded away, and he died 
m deep poverty, September 30, 1895, aged ninety. The Con- 
cord grape is his lasting memorial. 

James Abbott McNeill Whistler, 

*/jho~,L4 ol chit's /!£*- 

Late of London, the super-eminent artist, was a son of Mid- 
dlesex, born in Lowell in 1834, and christened in "Old Saint 
Annes" church, as recorded on its baptismal register, November 
9, 1831. His father was Major George Washington Whistler, a 
graduate of West Point, who resigned from the service, and went 
to Lowell in 1834, entering into the employ of the Locks and 
Canal Company as chief engineer in charge of their extensive 
works for the construction of locomotives and machinery for rail- 
roads and mills. While there he constructed for the Boston & 
Lowell railroad several engines fashioned after the one they had 
imported from London, which was built by Robert Stephenson, 
the first man in the world to successfully demonstrate the use of 
locomotives. Mr. Whistler was afterwards employed in various 
sections of the United States in great public and private enter- 
prises, among them being the Western railroad from Springfield 
to Albany. In 1842 he was called to Russia by the Czar to build, 
as engineer in charge, the first railroad of importance in that em- 
pire. It connected St. Petersburg with Moscow. In the former 
city he was attacked with cholera during a severe epidemic, from 
the effects of which he never fully recovered. He died April 9, 
1849, sincerely lamented, having successfully performed the great 
work with which he had been intrusted. His remains were sent 
to America and first buried in Boston, but finally removed to 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 39 

Stonington, Conn. He was one of the most distinguished engi- 
neers which this country has ever produced. His son, James 
Abbott McNeill, was also educated at West Point, or, at least, 
spent three years there, having been discharged June 16, 1854, 
"for deficiency in chemistry," but standing at the head of his class 
in drawing. He drifted finally to Paris, following his artistic 
tastes, where he studied for a time under an eminent teacher, and 
was well known in the Latin quarter. In 18G3, at the age of 
twenty-nine, he settled in London, remaining there during the 
balance of his career, devoting with tireless energy his remark- 
able talents in the development of original and striking concep- 
tions in the realm of art. The products of his brush have been 
scattered far and wide, provoking interesting discussion among 
skilful and critical connoisseurs in many lands, while his etch- 
ings, if we are to accept the extravagant tributes of enthusiastic 
admirers, are unsurpassed even by the great masters. In his 
chosen profession he was undoubtedly a genius of magnitude, 
and it is possible that history may crown him as first of his pe- 
riod. It is a matter of historic interest to know that Major John 
Whistler, the grandfather of this erratic genius, was an Eng- 
lishman who came to America in the British army, serving under 
Burgoyne at Saratoga, where he was captured. After being hon- 
orably discharged in England, he returned to America and settled 
for a time in Maryland. He afterwards enlisted in the army of 
the United States, and was severely wounded in an engagement 
with the Indians. He was promoted to captain and finally be- 
came a major by brevet. He died in the service of his adopted 
country, with a record of able and faithful duty courageously per- 
formed. 

Lowell, April 18, 1904. 
My Dear Sir: I am not able to give you the date of the birth of Mr. 
Whistler; but he was baptized in St. Anne's Church on November 9, 1834 
(being the son of George Washington and Anna Matilda), by the late 
Rev. D. Edson, then the rector. 

I think Mrs. J. B. Francis, 68 Mansur street, Lowell, can give you 
the birth date. My parish register does not. 

Very truly yours, 
A. St. John Chambre, Rector. 
Mr. Levi S. Gould, Melrose. 



40 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

Lowell, April 20, 1904. 
Mr. Gould:— 

Dear Sir: Your letter is just received, asking of James Whistler. 
Mr. Whistler came to Lowell in 1834, and Mr. Francis, my husband, 
came with him then. I do not know of the birthday of James Whistler, 
but he was born on Worthen street, about the fifteenth of July, after the 
family came to Lowell. This is the best I can do for you. 

Yours sincerely, 

S. W. Francis. 
The "Whistler" house was the home of Mrs. Francis for twenty-five 
years. — [Ed. 



May 10, 1904. 

Mr. Levi S. Gould, 280 Main street, Melrose, Mass.:— 

My Dear Sir: In reply to your letter of the thirteenth inst. inquiring 
about tlie date and place of birth of James Abbott McNeill Whistler, 1 
beg to say that the records of the Military Academy show that he en- 
tered here on July 1, 1851, under the name of James A. (Abbott) Whist- 
ler; aged at that time, sixteen years and eleven months. He was ap- 
pointed at large, and his place of residence was in Pomfret, Windham 
county, Connecticut. At the end of his second year's course, in 1853, he 
\\a> absent with leave, on account of ill health. On June 16, 1854, he was 
discharged from the academy for deficiency in chemistry. At that time 
he stood at the head of his class in drawing and No. 3!) in philosophy, the 
total number in the class being forty-two. He recorded his place of 
birth as Massachusetts. Very respectfully. 

F. W. Coe. 
Captain. Artillery Corps, Adjutant. 



Headquarters United States Military Academy, 
West Point, New York. 

October 10, 1004. 
Mr. Levi S. Gould, 280 .Main street, Melrose, Massachusetts: — 

My Dear Sir: In reply to your request of the 5th inst. for a tracing 
of the signature of James Abbott McNeill Whistler, I beg to say that I 
have had made and enclose a photographic reproduction of his signature 
as it appears on the records of the Military Academy, July 1st, 1851. 
You will note that at the time he entered here the " McNeill " was not in 
his name. Very respectfully, 

F. W. Coe, 
Captain, Artillery Corps, Adjutant. 

The foregoing correspondence should settle the debated question as 
to the native place of the artist.— [Ed. 




HON. EPHRAIM WALES BULL of Concord. 

He Originated the " Concord " Grape Which was Introduced in 1849. 

Born March 4, 1806. Died September 30, 1895. 

See page 37. 




REV. JOHN ELIOT, "Apostle ot ™»>» d ^ , t04> dled , fc9 0. 
From an Aooion. Painting D.scoveTed in a London Junk Shop. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 43 

Rev. John Eliot, 

jvAns ou<or 

Known throughout the Christian world as "The Apostle of 
the Indians of North America," is inseparably connected with the 
annals of ancient Middlesex. No history thereof can be consid- 
ered complete which fails to deal with his sincere and earnest 
consecration to the civil advancement and the moral and spiritual 
uplifting of those semi-nomadic tribes which hunted, fished, and 
generally inhabited the confines of the Charles and Merrimack. 
The memory of this remarkable man has received a fitting tribute 
in this generation from all the people of the Commonwealth, in 
the heroic figure of the "Apostle" preaching to the natives, as de- 
picted in the mural painting recently finished, on the walls of the 
Memorial Rotunda in the State House, by order of the General 
Court. 

He was born at Nazing, County of Essex, in 1604, and edu- 
cated at Jesus College, Cambridge, graduating therefrom in 1623. 
He came to America in the "Lion" (Captain William Pierce), ar- 
riving at Xantasket November 2, 1631. Among his fellow pas- 
sengers were the wife and children of Governor John Winthrop. 
It was a tedious voyage of ten weeks. On a subsequent trip of 
the same vessel came his betrothed, gentle Anna Mountfort, 
to whom he was married in ( )ctober, 1632, a few days after 
her arrival. In the same year he was appointed pastor of the 
church in Roxbury, holding this position during a period of 
fifty-eight years, until the day of his death, which occurred on the 
twentieth of May, 1600, aged eighty-six. In addition to his pas- 
toral duties, he was devoted to the civilizing and Christianizing 
of the Indians of Middlesex County, among whom he persistently 
labored for more than half a century. He was a man of sincere 
charity, with an irresistible impulse to uplift and benefit 
humanity. It is said of him that the parish treasurer, knowing 
his weakness, on one occasion when paying his salary, tied it up 
in a handkerchief with many hard knots. On his way home he 
stopped to console a poor woman who was sick and destitute, 
and, wishing to help her with a portion of his salary, he endeav- 



o 



44 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

ored to untie the several knots which his cautious friend had so 
carefully tied, but, finding it impossible, left the bundle upon the 
table, saving that it was evidently the Lord's will that she should 
have the whole of it! As early as 1646, he had so far mastered 
the Mohican dialect, principally used by the Massachusetts tribes, 
as to be able, in their own tongue, to preach to the savages gatli • 
ered within the confines of the present city of Newton, in a 
'warm, sheltered valley" called Nonantum, or "Xoonatomen," 
signifying a place of rejoicing. 

In this arduous and heroic work, often performed at the risk 
of his life, he was greatly assisted by a young Pequot captive wh 
had been apprenticed, or practically enslaved to a Dorchester 
planter, in accordance with a custom too often resorted to by our 
English ancestors. 

He also received much aid and comfort from Daniel 
Gookin, elsewhere mentioned as the "Indian historian." who was 
a lifelong friend, and by whom he was frequently accompanied. 
( hi one occasion he was threatened by an Indian with death for 
promulgating the gospel. His reply was: "I am about the work 
of the great God. and he is with me. Touch me if you dare." 
The first Bible printed in America in any tongue was published 
in Middlesex County, at Cambridge, in 1663. It was in the In- 
dian language, and was translated by John Eliot, aided by one 
Job Nestuan, an aborigine who had become an excellent lin- 
guist. Faithful to the cause of the English, he was slain while 
fighting in their ranks against King Philip. 



ol^arrymbcjJlt (ja&tf 1 ^ 



J^^fl q***%,j£Sz. 



The printers of this now priceless treasure were Samuel 
Green and Marmaduke Johnson, both of whom were often men- 
tioned in the earliest records of the town of Cambridge. 

Samuel Green, if his family traditions are correct, came over 
with Winthrop, having as an intimate fellow passenger Hon. 
Thomas Dudley, afterwards chosen many times as Governor and 
Deputy Governor, with whom, according to the story (said to be 
of his own relating), he slept on shore in an empty cask until 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 45 

better quarters could be provided. He was Town Clerk of 
Cambridge from 1694 to 1699, and Clerk of Writs from 1652 to 
tbe day of bis death. He was a commissioned officer in the 
famous "train-band" more than sixty years, becoming its Captain 
in 1689 at the advanced age of seventy-five. After assuming 
the management of the "Day press, - ' he was the only master 
printer in New England for nearly half a century. 

Marmaduke Johnson came to America under a contract 
signed April 21, 1660, with the London "Society for propagating 
the gospel in New England," for the purpose of assisting in the 
printing of an Indian Bible under the direction of "Mr. John 
Eliot and Mr. Greene." The limit of time was three years, and 
the salary forty pounds per annum. 

He was probably the first journeyman printer in America 
who had served a regular apprenticeship, as Day, who preceded 
him, being of another trade, probably took it up as a side issue, 
working at first in a clumsy way, and Mr. Green entered into it 
apparently as a business venture, on the advice of others. In 
1662 he was indiscreet enough to captivate the affections of Mr. 
Green's daughter without first obtaining the sanction of her 
father. Such a proceeding in Puritan times was not only consid- 
ered as a gross breach of social decorum, but positively scan- 
dalous in the eyes of the law. Johnson was forced into court 
and fined five pounds, which he refused to pay. Subsequently 
he was ordered to leave the country within six weeks and placed 
under bonds to do so. As the culprit was still under contract to 
complete another year of service in getting out the Bible, then 
well under way, he could not be spared from that important work, 
and so the General Court was appealed to and an act passed 
which enabled him to remain. 

The lassie, who was the underlying cause of all this trouble, 
proved as fickle as many others of her sex. for she found another 
lover before poor Johnson was able to satisfy the court by official 
proof that his former wife was really deceased, not "diseased," as 
the wretched orthography of the recording officer had gravely 
set forth. After completing his contract, he finally married a 
worthy woman, and nothing further was heard of the case 
against him. 




46 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

The press used in printing Mr. Eliot's Bible was the first one 
set up on the British North American continent. It was origi- 
nally operated by Stephen [Steven] Day, who agreed to come to 
New England for the purpose in 1638. The press was brought 
over by Rev. Jose Glover, who sailed from England, accompanied 
by Day, in 1638. Mr. Glover died on the passage, and his 
widow had it set up. She subsequently married Rev. Henry 
Dunster, the first president of Harvard College, and thus the 
control of the press passed into his hands, and to a certain extent 
appears to have been used as an adjunct of that institution. The 
first product of this press was the "Freeman's Oath," which was 
struck off in March, 1639. In 1649 the plant seems to have been 
transferred to Mr. Green, who appears to have conducted it 
about half a century. Day, to whom must be ascribed the im- 
mortal honor of setting up and running off the first form in 
British North America, was described as a "locksmith" in the 
ancient records relating to his emigration. He lived in Cam- 
bridge until 1668, when he died, at the age of seventy-five, in 
poverty, thus establishing a precedent in the dissipation of 
worldly wealth quite generally followed by members of his craft 
to the present generation. 

Mr. Eliot also edited an Indian grammar, and at other times 
published catechisms and primers for the use and instruction of 
his converts, as well as other works of general interest or of 
broader application. He was the first man in America to lift up 
his voice against the treatment and vassalage of negroes and the 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 47 

selling of Indian captives into slavery, although it was genera- 
tions before the seed thus sown blossomed and bore the fruits of 
general emancipation. 

For their courageous defense of the "praying Indians," while 
popular clamor was at its height in 1675, both Daniel Gookin and 
Thomas Danforth (afterwards Deputy Governor), his steadfast 
associates, were posted and threatened with death by an un- 
reasoning and infuriated populace. Mr. Eliot's age, then being 
upwards of seventy, and his profession, probably saved him from 
similar treatment. 

Major-General Daniel Gookin 



Originally came with his father to Virginia in 1621 from 
County of Kent, England, afterwards residing in Roxbury about 
three years, there forming the acquaintanceship of Mr. Eliot. 
He moved to Cambridge in 1617, where he passed the remainder 
of his days. He was licenser of the printing press in 1663. His 
public services to ancient Middlesex, especially in the militia, 
were eminent, and his labor in behalf of the "praying Indians" 
may best be judged from the works of his pen as their faithful 
historian. He was Lieutenant of the train-band of Cambridge 
in 1637, Captain in 1638, and rose to the position of Commander- 
in-Chief of the Middlesex County militia during King Philip's 
war. He was also Major-General of all the forces of the colony 
in 1681. 

His deep piety is shown in the following sentence, which 
concludes his instructions to Captain Sill and his company of 
Charlestown, Watertown, and Cambridge men, when they were 
sent forth against King Philip November 2, 1675 : "So desiring 
the ever loving Lord God to accompany you and your company 
with his gracious conduct and presence, and that he will for 
Christ's sake appear in all the mounts of difficulty and cover all 
your heads in the day of battle, and deliver the bloodthirsty and 



48 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

cruel enemy of God and his people into your hands, and make 
you executioners of his just indignation upon them and return 
you victorious unto us, I commit you and your company unto 
God." He was Selectman of Cambridge from 1660 to 1672; 
Representative from 1649 to 1651, being Speaker of the House 
during the latter year. He was an Assistant from 1652 to 1686, 
except in 1676, when he suffered defeat through his friendship for 
the "praying Indians," and his endeavors to protect them from a 
frenzied outburst of popular passion. He was also the confiden- 
tial agent of Oliver Cromwell, and entrusted by him with several 
important commissions especially relating to colonization of the 
West Indian Islands. He was a friend of both Goffe and 
Whalley, the regicides, and was accused of a desire to protect 
them from arrest. He died March 19, 1686-7, aged seventy-five 
years. 

Deputy Gov. Thomas Danforth 

Was born in Framlingham, Suffolk, England, in 1622, and 
came to Cambridge in 1634, where he became one of the 
wealthiest and most distinguished men of Middlesex. That he 
was a man of remarkable character, wonderful energy, and supe- 
rior abilities may be inferred from the broad range of his public 
services during a career of more than fifty years, all of which is 
related in detail under the caption of "Clerks of Court," he having 
been the first in the line. 

His death occurred November 5, 1699, aged seventy-seven. 
He left no descendants in the male line. 

There being "nothing new under the sun," it is fair to sup- 
pose that the "Ku Klux Klan" of the South must have been mod- 
elled from "Ye new society A. B. C. D." of Eliot's day. Listen 
to their warning: "Boston, February 28, 1675. Reader, thou 
art desired not to suppress this paper, but to promote its designe, 
which is to certify (those traytors to their King and country) 
Guggins and Danforth, that some generous spirits have owed 
them destraction, as Christians wee warne them to prepare for 
death, for though they will deservedly dye, yet we wish the health 
ot their souls. By ye newe society, A. B. C. D." 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 49 

One of these warning hand bills is still in existence. When 
we turn to the record of the life work of both "Guggins and Dan- 
forth," it is needless to add that threats were of no avail against 
such men except to defeat Mr. Gookin's election as Assistant in 
1676, a single instance, to be triumphantly vindicated at the next 
election, and to temporarily embarrass Mr. Danforth in a similar 
way. They had no fear of man. "the eternal God being their 
refuge." 

In opposition to the common opinions and practices of the 
hading men of his day, Mr. Eliot was professedly a teetotaler, 
and without doubt the first apostle of temperance in America. 

Using nothing but water himself, he said of wine: "It is a 
noble, generous liquor, and we should be humbly thankful for it; 
but, as I remember, water was made before it." 

Through his efforts, the General Court in 1651 was induced 
to grant 6,000 acres to the "praying Indians," at that time gath- 
ered at a place in Middlesex called Xatick, signifying in their 
language "a place of hills." It mainly occupied the territory ot 
the present town retaining that name. It is distinguished as 
being the first town government in North America, officered and 
solely managed for a term of years by the aborigines, and it is 
worth v of note that during many years after the whites had ob- 
tained the ascendency, the town records were kept in both the 
English and Mohican dialects. Xatick was an Indian town from 
165] to 1762, a period of one hundred and eleven years. In 182G 
the Xatick Indians were extinct. Mr. Eliot not only framed a 
civil and judicial form, based on Mosaic law, for the government 
of this settlement, but spent much of his time among them. 
Under his spiritual advice and direction, many of these Indians 
developed into pious and devout teachers of the word of God, 
spreading far and wide the glad tidings of the gospel of Jesus 
Christ, until several similar communities were established and 
ministered to within the limits of Middlesex County. Most of 
them had unpronounceable, but appropriate, Indian names, and 
were located at places now known as Marlboro, Chelmsford, 
Groton, Littleton, Concord, and Ashland, with two settlements 
in Lowell, one known as Wamesit, at the junction of the Concord 
and Merrimack, at one time a portion of Tewksbury, and the 



50 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

other at Pawtucket Falls, on the Merrimack, at that time within 
the territory of Dracut. In 1053 Mr. Eliot remained several' 
days with the "Pawtuckets," sometimes called the "Wamesits," 
administering- to their temporal as well as spiritual needs. The 
"Eliot" Memorial Church in Lowell is said to occupy the iden- 
tical spot whereon he frequently preached. 

Under his watchful care and parental guidance, they grew in 
grace and prospered, until their numbers in the "praying bands" 
had increased, in the aggregate, to about eleven hundred souls, 
and they had built some churches. But alas ! there came a time 
when the poor savage learned to his everlasting sorrow that his 
designation as a "praying Indian" was to be used by unscrupu- 
lous and designing men only as a byword and reproach, and 
that the holy ways of the meek and sanctified Eliot were in no 
sense the ways of the world. Notwithstanding the fact that 
these "praying Indians" were often called upon by the authorities 
to act with the settlers against their own people during the 
bloody conflicts of King Philip's war, and many freely offered 
their lives in defense of English hearthstones, yet, through the 
overpowering avarice of some and the hatred and treachery of 
others, scores were driven out of their habitations and away from 
valuable lands coveted by their persecutors, to perish in the wil- 
derness through exposure, hunger, and disease, while others, de- 
prived of their most sacred rights by our Puritan ancestors, were 
sold into slavery, thrown into prison on the slightest pretext, or 
slaughtered in whole families without provocation. Occasionally 
some one was brought to the bar of justice and suitably punished 
for such unholy atrocities, but the cases were rare, although it is 
recorded by Daniel Gookin, heretofore mentioned as a bosom 
friend of Mr. Eliot, and who at that time was Superintendent of 
all "submissive Indians," in an "historical account of the doings 
and sufferings of the Christian Indians in New England in 
1675-6 and 7," that, on petition of "certain Christian Indians/'' 
one Daniel Hoare, a son of John Hoare, of Concord, ancestor of 
the present illustrious family of that name, was convicted in 1676 
and sentenced to death, with three others, for the murder of three 
of the women and three of the children of the "praying Indians." 
Hoare was subsequently pardoned, but two of his associates in 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 51 

crime, Daniel and Stephen Goble, were executed. John Hoare, 
father of Daniel, was a consistent friend of the "submissive" In- 
dians. He was as potent, intellectually, in his day as are his de- 
scendants in ours, if we may judge of his merits from such frag- 
mentary evidence as exists in the history of Colonial times. 

It has been estimated that the Indian tribes hereabouts in 
New England numbered nearly 3,000 souls, of whom about one- 
quarter had been influenced in the direction of Christianity by the 
efforts of Mr. Eliot. Had this large number given their fighting 
braves to the hostile tribes who were continually using their 
powers in this direction, it is doubtful if the whites could have 
escaped utter annihilation. Notwithstanding their atrocious 
treatment, many of these faithful Indians, true to the instincts of 
savage warfare, donned the moccasin, and in the habiliments of 
the scout stealthily tracked the warriors of King Philip, dealing 
death and destruction wherever they went. In this way alone, 
according to the records of General Gookin, more than 400 en- 
emies of the colonists were slain by men of their own blood. An 
heroic example of fidelity, in contrast to acts of perfidy and 
treachery by the colonists. 

In the words of the charter brought over by John Winthrop, 
these trusting children were to be guided by the settlers "to the 
knowledge and obedience of the only true God and Savior of 
mankind." Let us hope that the persecutions they were forced 
to submit to at the hands of their white brethren, whose duty it 
was to teach them in the Christian graces, wrought out a more 
enduring and peaceful rest in the bather's kingdom than was ac- 
corded by their earthly guardians. This foul blot on the page 
of colonial history has repeated itself again and again under the 
civilization of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the treat- 
ment meted out in the South to our black allies of the Civil War. 
Until the present generation shall purge itself, it may not 
raise the hand in horror at the fate which fell to the lot of so 
many of the trusting disciples of John Eliot. After the death of 
the apostle, and with well nigh every man's hand against them, 
one settlement after another gave way to the advancing tide of 
oppression, until the "praying Indians" of Eliot's time became 



52 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

but a memory of by-gone days, to be referred to only as an inci- 
dent in Colonial history. 

As we consider the greatness and power of the Middlesex of 
to-day, may we never fail to do homage to the memory of those 
brave men and heroic women who came across the stormy seas 
and commenced that first settlement at the junction of the 
Charles and Mystic, and who finally, through their descendants, 
wrested a howling wilderness from wild beasts and savage foes. 
and, planting the church and schoolhouse side by side, reared a 
yeomanry so imbued with Christian courage, and so seasoned 
with unselfish, intelligent patriotism, as to make the glorious 
record of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill but natural in- 
cidents leading up to the surrender of Yorktown, and the inde- 
pendence of this republic. Hastily summoned by the warning 
voice of that peerless horseman in the cause of liberty, Paul Re- 
vere, men of Middlesex shed the first blood of the Revolution. 
offering their lives as willing sacrifices upon the altar of their 
country; an act destined, in the Providence of Almighty God, to 
awake earth's slumbering millions and shake the firmament with 
their battle cries of freedom. 

"By the rude bridge which arched the Hood. 
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled. 
Here first the embattled farmers stood. 

And fired the shot heard round the world." 

Foremost in the fierce and relentless wars of the Colonial 
period ; first in the opening scenes of the Revolution ; first on the 
field with her gallant Sixth at the dawn of the great Rebellion ; 
equipped again and sleeping on their arms, they were ready for 
the first signal of the Spanish war ; there her record stands in the 
teeming history of the past, pre-eminent in defense of the liber- 
ties of man 'and in all the duties of citizenship, as well as in com- 
merce, in manufactures, and in all the higher avenues of peace. 
Within her borders are the classic shades of Harvard, and the 
philosopher's retreat at Concord. Along her northern bounda- 
ries, skirting the limits of the granite hills of New T Hampshire, 
her farmhouses nestle under the shadows of grand, silent, and 



'••• 



/ . 




• 




THE MINUTE MAN. 




OLD NORTH BRIDGE, CONCORD. 
Scene of the Fight. 




(iOV. CRADOCK llol SI . MEDFORD. 

Built in 1634. Probably the oldest 
house in the rnitcii states. 



LEXINGTON COMMON. 



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ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 55 

majestic Monadnock, while her eastern shores are gently bathed 
by the tides of the sea, or lashed into foam by billows from the 
Atlantic. On the banks of the Mystic, within the present con- 
fines of Somerville, and near the mansion of Governor John 
Winthrop, was constructed and given to the waters of Massachu- 
setts Bay in 1(331, on a day ever to be remembered in the later 
annals of American history, the Fourth of July, a bark of thirty 
tons, called the "Blessing of the Bay," being the second vessel 
launched in America, the Virginia, built at Popham, being un- 
doubtedly the first, and it was her forests, resounding to the axe 
of the sturdy yeoman, which yielded the gnarled and twisted oak, 
hewn and fashioned in her shipyards into a thousand sail, which 
in the arts of peace have parted the waves of every sea under the 
snn, and in the smoke of conflict have carried the Stars and 
Stripes to glorious victory, or to honorable defeat. It is also an 
inspiration in patriotism to know that the white oak timber from 
which was constructed the ribs and keel of "Old Ironsides," the 
"Eagle of the Sea." which never lowered her "tattered ensign" 
to any foe, was cut from the farm of Captain Unite Cox in North 
Maiden, now the city of Melrose, and by him hauled with great 
teams of oxen to the shipyard at Constitution wharf in Boston. 
Captain Cox was a minute man who marched at the Lexington 
alarm, and rendered other valuable service during the Revolu- 
tion. He married Hannah Sprague, a lineal descendant of 
Ralph, one of the three brothers who settled the territory of Mid- 
dlesex County, and the forest from which this timber came was 
identical with the land mentioned in the "Book of Possessions" 
as belonging to him in 1638 at "Pond Fielde." Thus the frame- 
work of this noble and historic ship was preserved and guarded 
by the best blood of ancient Middlesex, and finally applied to a 
providential career of heroic service. It is the priceless record of 
this peerless county, that in every crisis of the nation's history 
men of Middlesex have sprung to arms and freely shed their 
blood to defend that legacy of liberty bequeathed by those who 
fell at Lexington and Concord, or to extend its protecting aegis 
to souls bowed clown in lands beyond the seas. 

By the infinite wisdom of Almighty God, such men as the 
Spragues, Winthrop, Dudley, Danforth, Gookin, Green, and 



5 1 ! A N<'1 E N T M I D DLESEX. 

others of their company were directed to these rugged and in- 
hospitable shores to erect in Ancient Middlesex, through the ut- 
most extremity of faith and of long-suffering, a Commonwealth, 
wherein the life that led to rigid purity in thought and action was 
the essential element. Should we wonder, then, that they 
adopted as the groundwork of civil policy that "none should be 
admitted to the freedom of the body politick but such as were 
church members'"? This declaration, in the light of the twen- 
tieth century, is freely denounced as narrow-minded and bigoted. 
Let us remember, however, that they were a deeply religious, 
quaint, and peculiar people, austere and indexible in many ways, 
as shown in the severity which characterized their punishment of 
crime.it being a matter of history that as late as the eighteenth day 
of September, 1755, bv order of the authorities, a woman was 
burned at the stake in public on the Town Common in Cam- 
bridge, in punishment of an atrocious crime, while her paramour 
was gibbeted within a few yards of the wretched creature. A 
century earlier, through uncouth behavior and intemperate 
speech, the Quakers invited, and possibly merited, a portion of 
the punishment which they received, some of their women even 
glorifying in the shame and pain of the lash applied by order of 
the court to the "naked body" as they were passed along from 
constable to constable through Cambridge, Watertown, and 
Dedham, beyond the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth. (See 
court records of Middlesex County, ( )ctober 6, Kid:'), Elizabeth 
Howton.) Notwithstanding all this, they were neither visionarv 
nor fanatical, but law-abiding, logical, courageous, honest, and 
faithful. Idle harshness of their methods in the administration 
of corporal punishment they justified under the Mosaic law. 
wherein "the way of the transgressor is hard." They endeavored 
to pattern their humble lives after the example of Mini who died 
on Calvary, and the foundations of their law rested upon the 
divine message which thundered from Sinai. John Ouiney 
Adams, the sixtli I 'resident of the United States, once said: "1 
would rather have one drop of Puritan blood in my veins than all 
the blood that ever flowed in the veins of kings and princes." 
As time moves on, the sublime work of these pious and un- 
daunted souls shines forth in ever-increasino- lustre, while the 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



57 



name of "Puritan," originally applied to dissenters from the es- 
tablished church as a term of scornful derision, is eagerly adopted 
by such as can trace their lineage back to the early fathers, as the 
proudest symbol which can emblazon the family escutcheon. 
"Those only deserve to be remembered by posterity who treasure 
up the history of their ancestors." 




RUINS OF THE VIADUCT OVER SHAWSHEEN RIVER— MIDDLESEX CANAL. 1795 



It is by the right of ancient settlement that Middlesex 
County may, if in no other way, lay claim to a date preceding its 
legal act of incorporation. 

At the date of its incorporation, 1643, Middlesex County 
contained Charlestown, Cambridge, Watertown, Sudbury, Con- 
cord, Woburn, Medford, and Linn Village, afterwards Reading. 
Until February 20, L819, the administration of county affairs was 
vested in the Circuit Court of Common Pleas; after that, and 
until March 1, 1826, in the hands of a Chief Justice and two asso- 
ciates of the Court of Sessions, 



58 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAYS, MIDDLE- 
SEX COUNTY. 

Under the Act of March 4, 182G, the Governor appointed 
five persons as "Commissioners of Highways" for the term of five 
years, viz. : Caleb Butler, of Groton, Chairman ; Augustus 
Tower, of Stow ; Abner Wheeler, of Framingham ; Benjamin F. 
Varnum, of Dracut (resigned in 1831 to accept the office of 
Sheriff) ; David Townsend, of Waltham. 

( )n the twenty-sixth of February, 1828, this act was changed 
to four persons, to be appointed by the Governor as "County 
Commissioners." This law continued until April 8, 1835, when 
it was changed so as to elect three commissioners and two spe- 
cials. March 11, 1854, the present law was passed to elect one 
commissioner each year, to serve three years. Under these va- 
rious acts, covering a period of seventy-nine years, the follow- 
ing twenty-six gentlemen have served as commissioners, viz. :— 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 59 

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIDDLESEX 
COUNTY, 1826 TO JANUARY 1st, 1905, 

(Commissioners of Highways from 1826 to 1828.) 

Hon. Caleb Butler, Groton, 1826 to 1841. 

Hon. Augustus Tower, Stow, 1826 to 1835. 

Hon. Abner Wheeler, Framingham, 1826 to 1828, and from 1831 

to 1841. 
Hon. Benjamin F. Varnum, Dracut, 1826 to 1831. Resigned in 

1831. 
Hon. David Townsend, Waltham, 1826 to 1837. Died in office. 
Hon. Timothy Fletcher, Charlestown, 1837 to 1846. Resigned. 
Hon. Leonard M. Parker. Shirley, 1841 to 1844. 
Hon. Seth Davis, Newton, 1841 to 1844. 
Hon. Josiah Adams, Framingham. 1844 to 1850. 
Hon. Josiah B. French, Lowell, 1844 to 1847. 
Hon. Ebenezer Barker, Charlestown, 1846 to 1853. 
Hon. Joshua Swan, Lowell, FS47 to 1850. 
Hon. Daniel S. Richardson, Lowell, 1850 to 1856. 
Hon. Leonard Huntress, Tewksbury, 1850 to 1876. 
Hon. John K. Going, Shirley. 1853 to 1860. 
Hon. Paul H. Sweetser, South Reading, 1856 to 1862. 
Hon. Edward J. Collins, Newton. 1860 to 1872. 
Hon. Joseph H. Waitt, Maiden, 18(12 to 1874, 
Hon. Harrison Harwood, Natick, 1872 to 1882. Died in office. 
Hon. Daniel G. Walton, Wakefield, 1874 to 1886. 
Hon. J. Henry Read, Westford, 1876 to 1897. 
Hon. William S. Frost, Marlboro, 1882 to 1893. 
Hon. Alphonso M. Lunt, Cambridge, 1886 to 1889. 
Hon. Samuel O. Upham, Waltham, 3889 to date. 
Hon. Francis Bigelow, Natick, 1893 to date. 
Hon. Levi S. Gould, Melrose, 1897 to date. 

Chairmen and Time of Service. 

Hon. Caleb Butler, 1826 to 1841, fifteen years. 

Hon. Leonard M. Parker. September, 1841, to September, 1844, 

three years. 
Hon. Josiah Adams, September, 1844, to September, 1850, six 

years. 




HON. CALEB BUTLER, of Groton, 
County Commissioner, 1826-1841. Chairman, 1826- 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 61 

Hon. Daniel S. Richardson, September, 1850, to September, 
1853, and January, 1855, to January, 1856, four years. 

Hon. Leonard Huntress. September, 1853, to January, 1855, 
January, 1856, to January, L860, and January, 1863, to Janu- 
ary, 1876, twenty years. 

Hon. Paul H. Sweetser, I860 and 1861, two years. 

Hon. Harrison Harwood, January, 1870, to August 27, 1882, six 
years. Deceased. 

Hon. Daniel G. Walton, September, 1882, to January, 1886, four 
years. 

Hon. J. Henry Read, January, 1886, to January. 1807, eleven 
years. 

Hon. Levi S. Gould, January, 1897, to date. 

The first meeting of the "Commissioners of Highways of 
Middlesex County" appears to have been holden at "Samuel 
Kendall's" tavern in Cambridge, August 1, 1826, to consider a 
petition for a new highway from "Alewife brook in Cambridge to 
the bridge over Miller's river in Charlestown." 

The first meeting of the "Board of County Commissioners," 
as constituted under the Act of February 26, 1828, was held at 
Concord on the second Tuesday, being the thirteenth day of May, 
1828, with Hon. Caleb Butler as Chairman. Augustus Tower, 
Benjamin F. Varnum, and David Townsend. being the remainder 
of the board, were also in attendance. 

Hon* Caleb Butler, 

Chairman, 1826 to 1841, Inclusive. 




Son of Caleb and Rebekah (Frost) Butler. Born in Pelham, 
N. H., September 13, 1770. and died in Groton, Mass., October 
7, 1854, aged seventy-eight. The early struggles of Mr. Butler, 
and the success which crowned an honorable career, are an object 
lesson to the youth of Xew England. It should encourage them 
to persistent effort in the attainment of useful knowledge against 
apparently insurmountable obstacles. According to the custom 



62 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

of pious families in those clays, his parents directed his youthful 
mind to the study of the Scriptures. In their lofty teachings his 
faith was firmly grounded, and from their minutest precepts he 
never knowingly deviated. In after life, a Greek Testament was 
a constant companion for familiar reference, and on the day of 
his death it was found lying by his side, with the book-mark 
placed at the last chapter of Revelations. His early schooling- 
was to be obtained only by traveling a long distance from the 
farm, at such times as he could be spared from pressing duties at 
home, and was necessarily intermittent. His father was a hard- 
working farmer in quite moderate circumstances, who needed the 
help of his boy, and was unable to furnish financial aid to satisfy 
his constant thirst for knowledge. His only preparation for col- 
lege consisted in attending the Academy of Daniel Hardy in 
Pelham less than a year. This was in 1794, when eighteen years 
of age. By working hard, and teaching some, all the while 
studying Greek and Latin, he finally accumulated sufficient funds 
to enter Dartmouth, from which he graduated in 1800, deliver- 
ing the salutatory oration in Latin, which was the highest honor 
conferred by the faculty at that time. In his Junior year he 
joined the college society of "Social Friends," and wrote a drama 
in three acts, entitled "Triumph of Infidelity ( )ver Supersti- 
tion." It was successfully performed August 26, 1799, by mem- 
bers of the society, Mr. Butler assuming the role of the Cardinal. 
Remaining in Hanover a year as tutor of an Indian school at- 
tached to the college, he was next employed by Isaiah Thomas, 
of Worcester, to correct the proofs of a Greek grammar he was 
publishing. He was appointed preceptor of Groton, now Law- 
rence, Academy in 1802. This position was congenial to his 
tastes and talent, and he soon advanced to the highest rank 
among the instructors of his period, serving until ltil~->, when he 
abandoned the profession of teaching and studied law with Hon. 
Luther Lawrence, of Groton. He had no desire for court prac- 
tice, but confined his legal employment principally to office work. 
He also became famous as a surveyor, and was relied upon in all 
difficult problems in those lines. His familiarity with the high- 
ways of Middlesex, upon the construction and improvement of 
which he was an authority, undoubtedly contributed to his selec- 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 63 

tion by the Governor, in 1826, as Chairman of the first Board of 
Highway Commissioners of this county. 

He was much interested in the Masonic fraternity, and up- 
held the faith during- the dark days of the anti-Masonic crusade. 
He held the position of W. M. of Saint Paul's Lodge, Groton, in 
1807, and was at one time High Priest of St. Joha's R. A. Chap- 
ter. He delivered many Masonic orations from 1811 to 1816, 
and was present with the fraternity when Lafayette laid the 
corner-stone of Bunker Hill Monument with Masonic ceremonies 
June 17, 1825, and also at its completion, June 17, 1843. He 
was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge, A. F. and A. M., in 18-11- 
1842, having previously served as Senior Grand Warden in 
1818-19, and as Deputy Grand Master from 1824 to 1826. A 
lodge in Ayer bears his name. One of his favorite studies was 
astronomy, and it was his delight on pleasant evenings to point 
out to those interested the wonders of the starry heavens. He 
also became quite an authority in forecasting the seasons, espe- 
cially the weather during haying, and was consulted by the 
farmers of his section with wondering faith in his predictions. 

He wrote a fine history of the town of Groton. It is a 
standard work, the preface to which is scholarly and instructive. 
In politics he was first a Federalist, but afterwards a Whig. He 
was Town Clerk of Groton. 1815 to 1817, and from 1823 to 1831 ; 
Trustee of Lawrence Academy from 1807 to 1836 ; elected to the 
Legislature in 1829, but declined to serve ; Postmaster for twenty 
years ; Chairman of the Selectmen ; appointed by the Governor 
as Chairman of the first Board of County Commissioners.* He 
was widely known and respected for his sterling integrity, moral 
independence, courage, simplicity, and modesty. He was 
famous, also, as a critical scholar, and for the energy and wealth 
of his intellect. Tt has been truly said of him that if his ambition 



*The venerable ex-Governor George S. Bontwell. a contemporary, 
in his recently-published "Sixty Years of Public Life." says that the 
politics of Mr. Butler, being a Whig, caused him to lose both the office 
of "Postmaster and that of County Commissioner." It is related of the 
latter that when the news came that his fellow-townsman. Mr. Bontwell 
(a Democrat), was elected Governor in 1851 as a "fusionist," he ex- 
claimed, ''God save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts!" Political 
animosities were strong in those days. — [Ed. 








HON. AUGUSTUS TOWER, of Stow, 
County Commissioner, 1826-1835. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 65 

had equalled his modesty, he would have become eminent. His 
mental qualities were not clouded at the approach of age, but re- 
mained bright and clear to the last. He delighted in literature 
and the classics as of old, and during his last years read the 
works of Virgil and Horace in the original. One of the most in- 
teresting events of his long and honorable career occurred at the 
jubilee of Lawrence Academy July L2, 1854, a few weeks before 
his death. At this celebration there was assembled a notable 
gathering. Among others of his pupils who were present were 
Hon. Abbott Lawrence, formerly Ambassador to England, Hon. 
Amos Kendall, formerly Postmaster-General, Hon. Joel Parker, 
LL.D., Rev. Andrew Bigelow, D. D., Rev. James Walker, D. D., 
President of Harvard College, and Hon. John P. Bigelow. Hon. 
Abbott Lawrence, in a beautiful tribute, said : "He was my only 
preceptor, and I thank God that he is able to be with us to-da\ 
at the age of seventy-eight. A sweet aroma hangs about his 
name, in his love of truth and justice, in his integrity of character 
in all relations of life, which I doubt not will endure long after 
he and all of us shall have passed away." 

Such was the character and such the abilities of the first 
Chairman of the County Commissioners of Middlesex County. 
In intellectual attainments, it is no disparagement to others to 
say that his equal has never yet appeared upon the board. 

Hon. Augustus Tower. 



-*-^Q/Cg<)< 



Son of Benjamin and Anna (Vose) Tower. Born in Sud- 
bury Tune 25, 1767, died in Stow on Independence Day, L838, 
aged seventy-one. He was a descendant in the sixth generation 
from John and Margaret (Ibrook) Tower, who came from Eng- 
land, and were inhabitants of Hingham as early as lti:!T. His 
father, Benjamin Tower, was a soldier in the old French war, 
serving in Captain Thomas Williams" company in IT-Mi; in Cap- 
tain Josiah Richardson's company in 1.757, and in Captain 
Nicholas Dakin's company in 1758; he was also a soldier in the 




HON. ABNER WHEELER, of Framingham, 
purity Commissioner, 1826-1828, and 1831-1841. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 67 

War of the Revolution, and was granted a pension March 1, 
1789. When the battle of Lexington occurred, the subject of 
this sketch, Augustus, was not quite eight years of age. Emu- 
lating the patriotism and courage of his father, he enlisted in 
March, 1782, for three years in Captain Coburn's company at- 
tached to the Seventh Massachusetts regiment, Colonel John 
Brooks, and served at Fishkill, Newbnrgh, West Point, and at 
New York after its evacuation by the British. At the time of his 
enlistment, this valiant and youthful patriot was less than fifteen 
years of age. For service in the War of the Revolution, he was 
granted a pension January 5, 1833, which was continued to his 
widow, Polly (Leathe) Tower, after his death. As early as 1799, 
he was a Selectman and Assessor of the town of Stow, to which 
offices he was repeatedly chosen. He was Town Clerk and 
Town Treasurer uninterruptedly from 1804 until 1826, when his 
son, Charles Tower, succeeded him. He was a member of the 
House of Representatives in 1809-10-11-12-13-14-15-19-20-21- 
22-23, and 1826, and a Presidential Elector in 1824. In 1826 he 
was appointed by the Governor as one of the first Board of 
Highway Commissioners for Middlesex County. In 1828 he 
was appointed a member of the first Board of County Commis- 
sioners of Middlesex County, upon which he served until 1835, 
and was a magistrate for the county during seven years. He was 
a carpenter by trade, and had a small farm. The present town 
clerk of Stow has in his possession a map of Stow which was 
made by Mr. Tower in 1830, showing that he possessed talent 
and skill as a surveyor, in addition to other accomplishments. 
As a soldier and civilian, old Middlesex can produce no better 
example of the typical yeoman than Augustus Tower. 

Hon. Abner Wheeler. 



c^Up'^U? 



Son of Abner and Elizabeth (Brooks-Hunt) Wheeler. Born 
in Lincoln, 1772, died in Framingham October 11, 1843, aged 
seventy-one. He was a carpenter by trade, and for quite a long 
time was a tavern keeper in Framingham Centre. He was a 




HON. BENJAMIN F. VARNUM. of Dracut, 
County Commissioner, 1826-1831. Resigned.' 



\\( HAT MIDDLESEX. 69 

very active and energetic business man, and was one of the pro- 
prietors of the Boston and Worcester turnpike. I te also assisted 
in the building of the Saxonville mills, in which he was interested 
at the time of his death. He was a Representative to the General 
Court in 1814, and Selectman from 1809 to 1816. He was one 
of the first board of Count)' Commissioners of Middlesex County, 
serving from L826 to 1828 as a Commissioner of Highways, and 
from 1831 to 1842 as a County Commissioner. 

Horn Benjamin Franklin Varnum, 
Resigned in 183 \ to accept position of High Sheriff. 



4&## 



Born in Dracut in 1795, died January 11, IS II, aged fortv- 
six. Son of the distinguished Revolutionary patriot and states- 
man. Major- General Joseph Bradley Varnum, who was speaker 
of the lower house of Congress, 1807 to 1811, and President pro 
tern of the United States Senate, 1813. He was also commis- 
sioned. February 12, 1794, by Lieutenant-Governor Samuel 
Adams as High Sheriff of Middlesex County, but declined the 
office. The subject of this sketch was a Representative to the 
General Court in 1824 to 1825, and a Senator from Middlesex 
County in 1826-1827-1828-1829 and 1830. One of the first 
board of Highway Commissioners, and one of the first board of 
County Commissioners until 1831, when he resigned to accept 
the position of High Sheriff of Middlesex County, which posi- 
tion he honored during two terms of five years each, dying in 
office at the early age of forty-six, and at the very threshold of a 
career which promised to equal that of his illustrious father. He 
had announced to his friends a purpose to retire from the 
shrievalty at the end of his term to seek higher honors for which 
his discretion, ability, and popularity eminently fitted him. For 
his careful and discreet management of the duties of his office, 
during the Ursuline Convent disturbances, he received the 
thanks of the Governor of the Commonwealth. He was cour- 
teous and affable, and a splendid specimen of manly grace. His 
death was universally regretted. 




HON. DAVID TOWNSEND, of Waltham, 
County Commissioner, 1826-1837. Died in office. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 71 



Col. David Townsend, Jr., 
Died in Office. 



\r&c*~<r<-cc Ja~< 



Son of Cornet David and Sarah (Jennison) Townsend. 
[lorn in Waltham June 2, 1777, died there January 5, 1837, aged 
sixty. After passing- through the district schools of his native 
town, he learned the trade of a cabinet-maker, at which he 
worked for a time in Boston, where he became interested in mili- 
tarv matters, and, on returning to Waltham, was appointed as 
Colonel of the First regiment, Massachusetts militia. He was a 
Justice of the Peace, and a member of the Board of Selectmen 
eleven years between 1802 and 1818. His father, Cornet David. 
bought the "Bird" tavern, which his son carried on for many 
years. If ability and popularity are to be gauged by extended 
service in the Legislature, then Colonel Townsend must have 
been the personification of virtue, both social and political, for 
the people of Waltham honored him by elections to the House 
of Representatives in 1809-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-20-24-2G-2 1 ; 
and 1831, making a total of fourteen years. He also served as a 
member of the Constitutional Convention of 1820. It will be 
seen that he commenced his career in the Legislature at the same 
time as did his afterward associate upon the board of County 
Commissioners, Hon. Augustus Tower, of Stow, who served 
therein thirteen years, being one year less than Colonel Town- 
send. As the genial colonel was a tavern keeper, however, it is 
fair to assume that the character of his public entertainment for 
••man and beast" might account for his finishing a lap ahead of 
his more rustic associate. He was appointed by the Governor 
upon the first board of Highway Commissioners in 1826, and 
upon the first board of Comity Commissioners in 1828, serving 
until his death in 1837, which occurred while yet in office, and 
w'as deeply regretted by the entire community. 




HON. TIMOTHY FLETCHER, of Charlestown, 
County Commissioner, 1837-1846. Resigned. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 73 



Hon, Timothy Fletcher* 




Born in Groton November 28, 1795, died in Charlestown 
August 28, 1878, aged eighty-three. Son of Peletiah and Sallv 
(Woodward) Fletcher. In early life lie became a resident of 
Charlestown, where he passed the remainder of a lengthy, active, 
and honorable career. At different times he was engaged in the 
lumber and leather business, from which he retired many years 
before his death. In politics he was a lifelong Democrat, and 
was honored by his fellow citizens with many offices of trust and 
responsibility. He was a Selectman of the town, and, after 
Charlestown became a city, served as an alderman in 1848 and 
1849. He was a member of the House of Representatives in 
1834-35-36-37-41 and 1842. He was a County Commissioner 
from 1837 to 1846, having been first elected to succeed Hon. 
David Townsend, deceased. He was chosen chairman of the 
board in 1841, but declined to serve. A careful examination fails 
to reveal any minutes of his resignation upon the Commissioners' 
records, but in 1846, before the expiration of his term of office, 
ii is found that Hon. Ebenezer Barker, also of Charlestown, was 
apparently elected as his successor, and so it is fair to assume 
that he must have resigned. A firm believer in the doctrine of 
"free trade and sailors' rights, " he enlisted and served in the War 
of 1812. Surviving until beyond the limit of four score years, 
he was permitted to see the flag for which he fought proudly 
floating at the masthead of American craft from sea to sea, and 
from the islands to the ends of the earth. 




HON. LEONARD M. PARKER, of Shirley 
County Commissioner, 1841-1844. Chairman, 1841-1844. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



Hon. Leonard Moody Parker, 
Chairman September, J 84 J, to September, 1844. 




&^ 



Born in Shirley January 9, 1789, died there August 85, 1S.V1, 
aged sixty-five. Son of James and Sarah (Dickerson) Parker. 
His father was a minuteman, and marched in Captain Haskell's 
Shirley company at the Lexington alarm April 19, 1 T T 5 . James 
Parker was a descendant in the fifth generation from Captain 
James Parker, an original proprietor of Groton, who was much 
distinguished in early Colonial times. At fourteen years of age, 
Leonard Moody commenced his preparation for college under 
the instruction of Hon. Caleb Butler, at that time preceptor of 
Groton Academy. It is a singular fact that he afterwards suc- 
ceeded this distinguished gentleman and scholar as the second 
chairman of the Middlesex County Commissioners, Mr. Butler 
being the first. He graduated at Dartmouth in 1808, at the age 
of nineteen, selecting the practice of law as his profession, read- 
ing two years with Hon. Abiiah Bigelow, M. C, of Leominster, 
and one year with Hon. Levi Lincoln, of Worcester, afterwards 
Governor, whose daughter he subsequently married. In 1S1 1 In- 
settled in Charlestown, and at once assumed a prominent position 
at the bar, politically, and otherwise. He was one of the counsel 
for "Mike Martin," the noted highwayman, who was hanged for 
robbing Major Bray and wife on the Medford turnpike; this was 
one of his earliest cases. On the outbreak of the War of 1812, 
he was appointed Judge Advocate of Military District No. 1, and 
held that position until peace was concluded. In politics, he was 
first a Jeffersonian Republican, afterwards a Jacksonian Demo- 
crat. President Jackson appointed him in 1830 as Naval Officer 
of the Port of Boston, a position which he held four years, and 
then moved back to his native town of Shirley to pass the re- 
mainder of his days in the home of his childhood. He was a 
member of the House of Representatives from Charlestown in 
1816-25-28 and 1829; of the Constitutional Convention in 1820; 
and a member of the Senate from Middlesex County in 1S18- 
19_20-26-27-3(i-:iT and 1840. He was also a member of the 



76 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

House from Shirley in 1851, at which time he was Dean of that 
body. Thus it appears that he was a member of the lower 
branch five years, and of the upper branch eight years. A most 
remarkable period of service, testifying to his great ability and 
popularity. It is also interesting to note, in this connection, that 
the people of Shirley elected him to the House of 1836 while the 
people of Middlesex County were electing him to the Senate of 
the same year! He chose to sit in the upper branch, and re- 
signed his seat in the House. He was the second chairman of 
the County Commissioners, serving in that capacity from L842 
to IS I,"), but refused a re-election to the board. During his term 
the board assumed a radical position upon the temperance ques- 
tion, refusing to grant further licenses for the sale of intoxicating 
liquors, on the ground that the "public good did not require such 
a traffic." This measure was bitterly opposed, but, being stead- 
fastly maintained, soon became the settled policy of all the coun- 
ties of the Commonwealth. His associates were Hon. Timothy 
Fletcher, of Charlestown, who was offered the chairmanship of 
the board, but declined in favor of Mr. Parker, and Hon. Seth 
Davis, of Newton, who was a total abstainer from the use of 
strong drink, and the first person in New England, probably, to 
form a temperance society. He died a: the advanced age of one 
hundred and one years, as will be hereafter noted. 

During the long political career of Mr. Parker, he was called 
upon to perform many public duties, which required the most 
careful and considerate action. Among others, he was appointed 
by the State Legislature in 1825 "to prepare a system for the es- 
tablishment of a seminary for the education of the working 
classes in the practical arts and sciences." The same year he 
was one of the Commissioners who settled the long-contested 
boundary line question between Massachusetts and Connecticut. 
In 1830 he was a Commissioner appointed by the Legislature to 
examine into the condition of the banks of the County of Suffolk. 
In 1824 he was Chairman of the State Committee of the Repub- 
lican party which supported Hon. William H. Crawford for the 
presidency, but ever after, as heretofore stated, he was a Jack- 
sonian Democrat. In legislative matters he was an indefatigable 
worker, and originated many changes in the laws which have 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 77 

proved valuable. It was his principle to oppose all manner of 
legislation which enriched corporations and individuals at the 
expense of the people. 

It was largely through his watchful care that millions were 
saved to the educational institutions of the Commonwealth, in 
the uncompromising opposition which was organized against a 
proposition to sell the state's interest in the public lands of Maine 
for the paltry sum of $150,000. In 1826-27 and 1828 he was 
Chairman of the joint standing- committee on Roads and Rail- 
ways. The resolves which he reported foreshadowed the build- 
ing of the Boston & Providence and the Boston & Albany rail- 
roads, which he stoutly maintained ought to be done by the state, 
as they "would prove a source of profit, and not a burden." 
Think of the millions which might have been saved to the people 
had his advice been heeded. Ever alert in the interest of his 
constituents, he was the principal factor in the legislation which 
finally freed the bridges between Boston and Charlestown, win- 
ning against the inveterate opposition of those monopolies which 
had set up and were determined to maintain a toll-gate against 
posterity. Defeated the first year by a veto from his father-in- 
law. Governor Lincoln, he was not cast down, but the next year 
fought it out to a finish. The results of this victory, even after 
the lapse of more than half a century, are of incalculable benefit 
to the people of Boston and the suburban districts, who might 
now be groaning under this unjust tribute, were it not for his 
exertions. To Mr. Parker must be ascribed the authorship of 
that provision in the charter of all railroad corporations which 
permits the Commonwealth to ultimately assume the manage- 
ment of the road. This amendment, when first introduced by 
him, met with the most determined opposition, but finally pre- 
vailed. Mr. Parker was one of the first, if not the very first, to 
agitate the slavery question before a legislative assembly, being- 
chairman of a committee of the Massachusetts Senate which re- 
ported a series of resolutions, February 22, 1837, calling upon 
Congress in the most solemn manner to "abolish slavery within 
the District of Columbia," which, it was claimed, they had a con- 
stitutional right to do. 

The foregoing is but a brief synopsis of the work accom- 
plished by this industrious and distinguished public servant, who 




HON. SETH DAVIS, of Newton, 
County Commissioner, 1841-1844. Died at age of 101. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 79 

appears to have been a man of absolute sincerity, of remarkable 
independence, of much more than ordinary ability, and whose 
aim in life seemed to be "to do good and to prevent harm." He 
had a brother, Daniel, who graduated at Dartmouth in 1801, who 
was so greatly distinguished as Judge Advocate of the Third 
Division of Massachusetts militia during the War of 1812 as to 
attract the attention of President Madison, who appointed him as 
Inspector-General of the Army of the United States, with the 
rank of Brigadier-General. He died in 1848, and was buried in 
the Congressional burying ground in Washington. 

Leonard Moody Parker died in Shirley, and was buried in 
Worcester by the side of Martha Lincoln, his wife. 

Hon. Seth Davis. 

Son of Timothy and Betsey (Flagg) Davis. Born in Ashbv, 
Mass., September 3, 1787, died in Newton, 1SSS, aged one hun- 
dred and one. He was the son of Timothy Davis, a Revolu- 
tionary soldier, and in some respects was one of the most re- 
markable men of his generation. In IT!)'.), at the tender age of 
twelve, he was apprenticed for the term of one year to a West 
Townsend miller, and was given charge of a saw-mill, grist-mill, 
and cabinet shop! In 1802, when fifteen years of age, he came 
to seek his fortune in West Newton, at that time a sparsely set- 
tled place of half a dozen families, with twenty-five cents in his 
pocket, and all his other worldly possessions tied up in a ban- 
danna handkerchief. Here he found a job, and worked four 
years for six dollars a month, and ever after remained an active, 
energetic factor in the life of the community until past the cen- 
tury mark, without having suffered a day of sickness. It is well 
to note that he was a total abstainer from the use of both liquor 
and tobacco. He was in school, all told, but twenty months, and 
vet he became a noted teacher, establishing a famous private 
school in 1817, which he taught with great success for nearly 
forty years. From 1807 to 1817 he taught in Mason, N. H.. 
Townsend, Ashby, Newton, and Watertown, where he also had 



80 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

charge of Seth Bemis' cotton factory. He wrote an arithmetic 
which was adopted by Newton. He was the first to introduce 
maps and the study of geography ; also of geometry and the cus- 
tom of declaiming in the public schools of Newton. The town, 
however, solemnly declared that declamation was "demoralizing 
in effect and could not be tolerated!" With twenty-seven others, 
he founded in 1826 what was probably the first temperance 
organization in New England. He was clerk and treasurer of 
the First Baptist Church of Newton for thirty years. His thirst 
for knowledge was said by himself to have been aroused by read- 
ing the tales of "Robinson Crusoe." Among his scholars were 
many men who became famous ; of such. Governor Alexander 
H. Rice was conspicuous. He was a lecturer of ability; was 
also a Trial Justice and County Commissioner, 1845 to 18-15. 
He had a great fondness for shade trees, and many of the finest 
elms in West Newton were set out by his hands. He is said to 
have planted more than a thousand. On the third of September, 
1887, the city government of Newton observed the centennial 
birthdav of this grand old man with much ceremonv. Addresses 
were made by the Mayor and many former pupils. Rev. Dr. S. 
F. Smith, author of "America," recited an original ode, from 
which is extracted the following: stanza : — 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 81 

"Friend of our early youth and riper age, 
The eitizen, the patriot, and the sage, 
Blessed with an eye to see, a hand to do, 
A heart to throb, a soul both large and true, 
Man of the present, treasury of the past, 
How has thy life been honored to the last ! 
Of old traditions, thou a matchless store, 
A walking volume of historic lore ; 
Lover of nature in its varied moods, 
Its brooks and Mowers, its fields and leafy woods. 
A thousand trees set by thy loving care. 
Attest thy taste and toil which placed them there." 

A few months later this sage philosopher was gathered to his 
fathers ; a most conspicuous example of that occasional product 
of American institutions, the *'self-made" man. 




HON. JOSIAH ADAMS, cf Framingham. 
County Commissioner, 1844-1850. Chairman, 1844-1850. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 83 



Hon. Josiah Adams, 

Chairman, September, 1844, to September, 1850. 




r -***^^ *s&$<zC 



**t^*T+d 



He came from excellent stock, his father. Rev. Moses 
Adams, being a graduate of Harvard, and a beloved and success- 
ful minister in Acton during a long career. Josiah was horn in 
Acton November 3, 1781, and died in Framingham February 8, 
1854, aged seventy-three. His mother's maiden name was Abi- 
gail Stone. He was graduated at Harvard in 1801, and after 
reading law with Thomas Heald. Esq., settled at Framingham in 
1807, where he remained during the balance of a long and event- 
ful life. He descended from Henry Adams, a grantee of Brain- 
tree in 1641. In politics he was a Federalist, while the section 
in which he lived was overwhelmingly Democratic, so that his 
political aspirations were rarely gratified; he was. however, a 
member of the Constitutional Convention of 1820, a representa- 
tive in 1827, and a member of the Governor's Council in 1841. 
He was also Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners 
from 1844 to 1850. He was prominently identified with the 
cause of education, and was a trustee of Framingham Academy 
from 1820 to L852. 

In the first half of the last century a hitter and acrimonious 
discussion arose between certain citizens of Concord and Acton 
as to which section was entitled to the everlasting renown of the 
"shot heard around the world." As a native of Acton, Mr. 
Adams entered into tins controversy with all the force of his 
brilliant genius, often speaking and writing in behalf of the 
claims of the men of Acton. In a centennial oration delivered at 
Acton July 21, 1835, he said : "If the first blood was shed at Con 
cord, the men of Acton arrived to shed it." On another occa- 
sion, in responding to a toast on the battle of Concord, he is said 
to have stampeded the honorable chairman by giving birth to 
this famous epigram: "Mr. Chairman, it is true that Concord 
furnished the field, but Acton the men !" He was widely popu- 




HON. JOSIAH B. FRENCH, of Lowell, 
County Commissioner, 1844-1847. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 85 

lar, and an able lawyer. His distinguishing characteristic, how- 
ever, was in the possession of an infinite fund of wit and humor, 
which often convulsed the Honorable Court with its irresistible 
brilliancy ; indeed, it has been said by some of his contempo- 
raries that this propensity for wit and sarcasm acted as a handi- 
cap to prevent his rising to that eminence in his profession which 
his education and talents justified. As one writer has said, he 
continually watched for openings for his wit, and, "whenever he 
saw a loose nail, drove it home." In this, he sometimes overshot 
the mark, as in the instance of Chief Justice Shaw, who was at 
one time speaking before an audience of lawyers of certain won- 
derful things which had come under his observation, mentioning 
an Egyptian mummy, from the case of which was taken certain 
seed, which, when planted, brought forth a crop: "( )f mum- 
mies?" chimed in Air. Adams! The others laughed, but the 
eminent Chief Justice scowled and never forgot it. 



Hon. Josiah Bowers French. 




€<^_ ^S 




Son of Luther and Sally (Bowers) French. Born in Bil- 
lerica December 13, 1799, died in Lowell August 21, 1876, aged 
seventy-seven. At the age of twenty-four, he was appointed 
Deputy Sheriff of Middlesex County, which he held from 1823 
to 1830. Coroner of the town of Lowell, 1827; Collector of 
Taxes, 1829; Assessor. 1833-34; Representative in 1836, and 
again in 1862. From 1836 to 1842, a member of the Common 
Council; in 184(1 and 1841, Chief Engineer of the Fire Depart- 
ment : and in 1849 and 1850, Mayor of the city of Lowell. From 
1831 to 1846 he conducted an extensive staging business, carry- 
ing the United States mail between Boston and Montreal. The 
magnitude of the staging business of Lowell in 1835 can best be 
understood by stating the fact that from forty to forty-five stages 
left that city daily in different directions. In 1851 he was Presi- 




HON. EBENEZER EARKER, of Charlestons 
County Commissioner, 1846-1853. 




ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 87 

dent of the Northern railroad, and had been a successful builder 
and contractor. He was energetic, sagacious, and enterprising 
to a very remarkable degree, and while his educational facilities 
were limited to the rude benches of a district school, he had a 
tine bearing, erect and commanding, and a personal magnetism 
which charmed and impressed all with whom he came in contact. 
In politics he was an old-fashioned Jacksonian Democrat, and in 
religion a Unitarian. lie was a County Commissioner from 
1644 to 1847. 

Hon, Ebenezer Barker. 

Bom in Pembroke, Mass.. September !), 1796, died in 
Charlestown January I, 1868. Son of Josiah and Penelope 
(I latch) Barker. His father was a noted ship builder, and moved 
to Charlestown in 11!)!), and was the first Naval Constructor at 
the Navy Yard. His brother. Josiah If. Barker, was also a shin 
builder and Naval Constructor of prominence. He was educated 
at Rev. Thomas Waterman's school in Woburn. After gradu- 
ating, he entered the counting room of Bray & Boyd, India 
wharf, Boston. In 1818, as supercargo, he made a voyage to 
Calcutta in the shin "Aurora." This vessel was built by his 
father, and was the largest craft hailing from this port. On his 
return, he was employed as clerk at the Navy Yard, and subse- 
quently as surveyor of timber. Later lie became a student with 
Loammi Baldwin, Jr., the celebrated engineer, who built the dry 
docks at Charlestown and Norfolk, and from that time followed 
the profession of a civil engineer. He was Bridge Commis- 
sioner ; State Agent of the Charles-river and Warren bridges; 
Representative to the General Court in 185!) ; Alderman of the 
city of Charlestown, 1847, L850, and County Commissioner seven 
years, from 1846 to 1853, inclusive. He was a man of dignified 
appearance and fine physique, being about six feet in height, and 
weighing two hundred and twenty-five pounds. It is said that 
his resemblance to Daniel Webster was so marked as to fre- 




HON. JOSHUA SWAN, of Lowell, 
County Commissioner, 1847-1850. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. §Q 

quently confound him with that distinguished statesman. His 
capacity as an engineer, added to wide experience in public 
affairs, made him a valuable adviser and very efficient associate 
upon the Board of County Commissioners. 



Hon. Joshua Swan. 




Son of Joshua and Deborah (Burbank) Swan. Born in Me- 
tliuen January 10, 1788, died in Lowell April 21, 1867, aged 
seventy-nine. After passing through the district schools of hi> 
native town, he was apprenticed to a carpenter, and served his 
full time, moving to Waltham shortly afterward, where he went 
ii.to the service of the Waltham Machine Shop, continuing in the 
employment of this corporation until 1824, when he moved to 
Lowell and engaged with the Lowell Machine Shop as con- 
tractor, etc., remaining with them until 1840, when he retired 
from active work to the old "Moses Hale" estate, purchased by 
him in 1830, farming the same during the remainder of his life. 
On December 3, 1817, he married Olive Jones, of Lancaster, 
Mass., and raised a family which has been, and is, highly re- 
spected. Joshua, Jr., was a Unitarian clergyman. Charles W. 
is a physician of note in Brookline, and Albert G. a well-known 
citizen of Lowell. One of his grandsons is Dr. William D. 
Swan, Medical Examiner, Cambridge ; a granddaughter is the 
widow of ex-Governor William E. Russell, and another the 
widow of Frank Bolles, who was a Harvard professor. During 
the life of the Whig party, he always acted with it, becoming a 
staunch Republican when that party was formed. He was a 
member of Saint Ann's Episcopal church, and later of Saint 
John's, in Lowell. He was President of the Mechanics' Asso- 




^ycJZ;ZTZ.f^^so N . 



1 850- 1857. Ch 



°F Lnv/FLL. 



""nan, 1850-1853, and 1855-1856. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 91 

ciation in 1834-35. He was a Selectman of Lowell eight out of 
the ten years of its existence as a town: was frequently elected 
as Moderator; and, upon the adoption of the city charter in is:;;, 
he was elected a member of the Board of Aldermen. He was a 
Representative in the Legislatures of 1830-3] and 1839, and 
again in is I I. lie was a Past Master of Monitor Lodge, A. F. 
and A. M., Waltham; a member of Pentucket Lodge, Mount 
Horeb, R. A. Chapter; and a charter member of Ahasuerus 
Council of Lowell. He was County Commissioner from 1 s 4 7 to 
L850. 



Hon. Daniel Samuel Richardson, 

Chairman, September, 1850, to September, J853, and January* 
1855, to January, 1857. 



o&jt-^k^ *> ..CAUcsS'Lto+JTry?-' 



Born in Tyngsboro December 1. 1816, died in Lowell March 
21, 1890, aged seventy -three years, four months. Son of Hon. 
Daniel and Mary (Adams) Richardson. His father was a lawyer 
of distinction, who served as Postmaster of Tyngsboro thirty- 
five years, as Selectman, etc., several years, and represented the 
town and senatorial district two years in each branch of the 
Legislature. Daniel S. was a descendant of Ezekiel, who cams 
to America with Governor John Winthrop in 1630, and was of 
the first company of Woburn settlers in 1640-42, having previ- 
ously lived in Chariest/own proper, where he was prominent. 
His son, Caotain Josiah, settled in Chelmsford about 1659, and 
was given by the Indians, "for the love they bore him,*' the land 



92 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

at the confluence of the Concord and Merrimack, now mainly 
occupied as the site of the city of Lowell. His son, Lieutenant 
Josiah, lived in Chelmsford, "near the Concord river." Captain 
William, next in the line of descent, settled in Pelham, N. H., 
formerly a part of Dracut, where his son. Captain Daniel, was 
born March 11, 1749. This Captain Daniel was the grandfather 
of Daniel S. He served with distinction three years in the Revo- 
lution, and was awarded a pension by the government. From 
this, it appears that the Richardson ancestral tree sprang from 
and has been principally nourished in the historic soil of an- 
cient Middlesex. 

The subject of this sketch graduated at Harvard in 1836, at 
the age of twenty, being among the first of his class. His two 
brothers, Hon. William A., afterwards Secretary of the Treasury 
of the United States, and Hon. George F., a leading member of 
the bar, were also graduates of Harvard, and became greatly dis- 
tinguished. 

At the age of twenty-four, he commenced the practice of law 
in Lowell, pursuing it in the same office for fifty years, few advo- 
cates being his peer. During his long career, it is said that he 
argued more than three hundred cases before the Supreme Court. 
To his first case. Chief Justice Shaw was an attentive listener, 
and complimented the youthful advocate by remarking, "This 
case has been very well argued." In lspi-4:5 and 184? he was a 
Representative to the General Court, and in 1862 a member of 
the Senate; in 1845 and US-Pi, President of the Common Coun- 
cil : and in 1S4S a member of the Board of Aldermen of the city 
of Lowell. He was President of the Prescott National Bank six- 
teen years ; President of the Lowell Manufacturing Company ; 
President of the Vermont & Massachusetts railroad; of the 
Lowell & Nashua railroad ; and a member of the Board of 
County Commissioners from 1850 to 1856, holding the position 
of Chairman for four years of his term, during which time the 
Lowell jail was erected. In politics he was first a Whig, and 
afterwards a firm and consistent Republican ; in religion, a Uni- 
tarian. He was a man of fine character and remarkable attain- 
ments, his death creating a vacancv in society not easilv filled. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 93 

We quote a couplet from his valedictory, giving advice to an 
editor who was to succeed him on the Lowell Courier in 1841 :— 

"Do boldly what you do, and let your page 
Smile when it smiles, and when it rages, rage." 

In summing up his character, nothing better can be written 
than to quote from Hon. Benjamin F. Butler, who said : "He was 
one of the few men I ever knew who apparently had no^ enemies. 
The practice of the bar shows no more fragrant name than that 
of Daniel S. Richardson." It is certain that no member of the 
Board of County Commissioners, either living or dead, has ap- 
proached him in the wealth and power of his mind as applied to 
the practice of his chosen profession. 




County Commissioner 



HON. LBONARD ™^ ™~ ,«*«*. 



1850-1876. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 95 



Hon. Leonard Huntress, 

Chairman, September, 1853, to January, 1855; January, 1856, 
to January, I860, and January, 1863, to January, 1876. 



oltjO^U^^^C ffr/^A^t 



Born in Rochester. N. H.. November 22, 1811, died in 
Tewksbury July 19,1885, aged seventy four. Son of Joseph and 
Sally (Chesley) Huntress. He came to Lowell in 1832, and ob- 
tained employment on the Lowell Mercury, having- previously 
completed his apprenticeship as a printer in Portsmouth, X. H. 
He established the Lowell Courier in 1835, and continued to pub- 
lish it until 1842, when, on account of poor health, he retired to 
a farm in Tewksbury and remained a resident there until the date 
of his death, a period of forty-three years. During this extended 
residence, he was fifty-three times elected as Moderator of the 
meetings of that town, nineteen of which were annual meetings. 
He was also Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, and held many 
more positions of trust and honor conferred by his fellow citizens. 
In IS Hi he was a member of the House of Representatives from 
Lowell. In L850 he was elected as a County Commissioner of 
Middlesex County, serving as Chairman of the Hoard most of the 
time during the remarkable period ^i twenty-six years. In this 
responsible office he was an authority upon county practice, and 
served to the very general satisfaction of the people of this 
countw A courteous, commanding, genial, and hospitable 
Christian gentleman, of that type of the old school which is not 
too common in these latter days, he left a record of clean, 
lengthy, and most efficient public service which few may equal, 
and possibly none surpass. 




HON. JOHN K. GOING, of Shirley, 
County Commissioner, 1853-1860. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 97 

Hon. John Kendall Going, Jr. 

Born at Shirley December 1, 1810, died there December 20, 
1866, aged fifty-six. Son of John Kendall and Mary (Flagg) 
Going. His parents were humble, unpretentious farming peo- 
ple, who sent their boy to the district school, where, accord- 
ing to his own statement, he was taught only to read, write, spell, 
and cipher. The bent of his youthful mind is best illustrated by 
the following incident, as related by his son : When about four- 
teen years old, his parents gave him a lamb. This lamb he raised 
to a sheep, and finally exchanged it for a calf ; the calf, when it 
came to maturity, was swapped for an old horse and a cheap har- 
ness. Borrowing a wagon, the young man loaded it with 
produce from the farm, and drove it fifty miles to Boston, where 
it was disposed of at a good figure. This was his first business 
venture, and foreshadowed his success later on as a hop merchant 
and financier. He held a commanding position in Shirley, and 
from time to time received various official honors at the hands of 
his fellow citizens. In 1845-48-49 and 1852 he was on the 
Hoard of Selectmen, and in 1846 a Representative to the Legis- 
lature. In 18~io he was elected a County Commissioner, and 
served until 1860, during which time the Lowell jail was built. 
He was the architect of his own fortune, which, by untiring zeal 
and indefatigable industry, became very large for the times and 
locality. Severe application to business undermined his health, 
and brought him to the grave at an earl}- age. Throughout his 
career he maintained that dignified courtesy and affability which 
distinguishes a well-balanced character, and thus was popular 
with all classes, because he was as approachable by the humblest 
citizen as by the richest and most powerful. He was liberal to 
the first parish in Shirley, and left a fund to assist in its support. 
A review of his successful and honorable career reveals the possi- 




HON. PAUL HART SWEETSER. of South Reading. 
County Commissioner. 1856-1862. Chairman. 1860-1861. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 99 

bilities open to any New England youth of ambition and perse- 
verance, no matter how humble may be his birth and early sur- 
rounding's. 



Hon. Paul Hart Sweetser, 
Chairman in J 860 and J86J. 

Born in South Reading September 23, 1807, and died there 
June 11, 1872, aged sixty-five. Son of Paul and Sarah (New- 
hall) Sweetser, and to the "manner born," being in- the fifth gen- 
eration of Reading settlers through Michael and Samuel Sweet- 
ser, and in the ninth through his great-grandmother, Mary Smith, 
a lineal descendant of the original Francis Smith, who settled at 
Smith's Pond, now Wakefield, in 1647. Learned the shoe- 
maker's trade, at which he worked during minority. At about 
the age of twenty-one, he entered the South Reading Academy as 
its first student. Teaching winters, he continued his studies at 
the academy until he had taught in nearly every district school 
in town, with such marked success that he obtained permanent 
schools elsewhere, and in 1838 was appointed master of the Har- 
vard school in Charlestown, where he remained until 1847. His 
discipline, method of teaching, and playful humor gave him great 
popularity with his pupils, rendering his work eminently satisfac- 
tory. He was prominently identified in establishing the Massa- 
chusetts Teachers' Association, and its organ, the "Massachusetts 
Teacher," of which he was an editor during several years. The 
reports of the school committee of South Reading and Wakefield 
for more than twenty years, while he was a member thereof, at- 
test the versatility of his pen. He was a ready and very effective 
speaker, as the writer hereof can attest from personal recollection. 
He was both earnest and impulsive, as well as instructive, which 
always secured the attention of his hearers without wearying 
tnem. Early in life he became imbued with anti-slavery senti- 




HON. EDWARD J. COLLINS, of Newton, 
County Commissioner. 1860-1872. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 101 

meats, as well as with the cause of temperance. To these and 
other reforms he lent the best efforts of his splendid equipment 
of thought and speech. His reverence for spiritual things and 
his high moral tone has come to us in scraps of poetry and hymns 
of special excellence, some of which are preserved in permanent 
publications. He held many offices as the gift of his fellow 
townsmen, and after giving up the profession of teaching, was 
twice elected as a County Commissioner of Middlesex County, 
serving from 1856 to 1862. His favorite maxim was to "owe no 
man" anything. In summing up his character, it is safe to say 
that his personal and official acts would bear the most scrupulous 
examination because they were based upon the fundamental prin- 
ciples of the Golden Rule. 

Hon. Edward Jackson Collins. 



&JC£h^, 



Son of Matthias and Hannah (Jackson) Collins. Was born 
in Newton April 24, 1811, and died there July 25, 1879, aged 
sixty-eight. He descended from a family of English emigrants. 
Matthias Collins the first settled in Marblehead, and became 
famous in public life, holding the office of High Sheriff. His 
son, Matthias the second, came to Newton in 1778, and pur- 
chased one hundred acres of land, upon which he lived until his 
death in 1785. He left an only child, Matthias the third, father 
of the subject of this sketch. His- wife, Hannah Jackson, was 
descended from Edward Jackson, one of the first settlers of New- 
ton, and a companion of John Eliot. Sebas Jackson, his son, 
was born, it is said, on the voyage from England. His son, 
Colonel Ephraim Jackson, who served in the old French War, 
was in the War of the Revolution, participating in several battles 
previous to the terrible sufferings at Valley Forge, where he died. 
He was the grandfather of Hannah Jackson, mother of Edward 
J. Collins, whose education was confined to the district schools of 




HON. JOSEPH H. WAITT. of Malden, 
County Commissioner, 1862-1874. 



A.NCIENT MIDDLESEX. 103 

his native town, supplemented by a course of training- at the 
hands of that venerable pedagogue, Hon. Seth Davis, himself a 
Commissioner of Middlesex County from 1842 to 1815, whose 
wise precepts and sound principles undoubtedly laid the founda- 
tions of that practical knowledge of general affairs developed by 
his student later on, contributing to the accumulation of a large 
fortune through the avenues of legitimate trade. In 1832, at the 
age of twenty-one, he engaged in the manufacture of glue, con- 
tinuing therein with great financial success until 1870, a period of 
thirty-eight years. He enjoyed the confidence of his fellow- 
citizens to a remarkable degree. In 1858 and 1859 he was their 
Representative in the General Court. He had served as Assessor 
and Selectman, and at the time of his death was Treasurer and 
Collector of Taxes. He was County Commissioner of Middlesex 
County, 1860 to 1872. 

Mr. Collins was possessed of a warm heart, with benevolent 
impulses, although to some he might have been considered as 
stern and austere. He was a most sincere and successful man of 
business, whose integrity was never questioned, and whose word 
was never doubted. 

Hon. Joseph Henry Waitt. 



Ajf. rtr*&c>-2 } 



Son of Aaron and Nancy (Cheever) Waitt. Was born in 
Maiden August 13, 1813, and died there, after a painful illness of 
many months, June 11, 1875, aged sixty-two. For almost 
twenty-five years he was in the employ of the Walworth Manu- 
facturing Company, previous to which he was engaged in the sale 
of books. 

"Uncle Joe," or "Captain" Waitt, as he was familiarly known 
a generation since, was a prominent factor in the social and po- 
litical life of Maiden, and in the wider arena of county affairs, 
wherein he was deservedly popular and served with general sat- 
isfaction. The only office to which he aspired in his native town 




HON. HARRISON HARWOOD. of Natick, 

• ■ 1QT-5 irr9 rhairman 1876-1882. Died in office. 

County Commissioner, 1872-lbe2. unairman. io/u 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. L05 

was that of Water Commissioner, to the first hoard of which he 
was elected. In religions matters he was a Methodist by profes- 
sion. He was prominently identified with various fraternal 
organizations, Masonry being conspicuous. During many years, 
and at the time of his death, he was the Marshal of Mount Ver- 
non Lodge, a position for which he was peculiarly adapted. No 
one who ever saw him wield the baton can forget the profound 
display of humility with which he approached a commanding 
officer, the deference in his salutation, or the extreme dignity of 
his hearing as he proudly conducted a marching column. 
( ienial, whole-souled, and courteous, his death was widely 
lamented, and by none more sincerely than by his brethren of 
the mystic tie who sadly followed his body to the grave and de- 
posited it there with courteous and knightly honors. Entering 
upon the duties of his office in moderate circumstances, he con- 
tinued so through twelve long years of service, and died poor, as 
every honest Commissioner must die who lives as becomes his 
station and depends upon his salary for support. He was upon 
this board from 1862 to 1874. 

Hon. Harrison Harwood t 

Chairman, January, 1876, to September, 1882. Died in Office. 



Pip, sHpasr-us-a-d-z^ 



Son of George Washington and Anna (Bisco) Harwood. 
Born in North Brookfield, Mass., October 18, 1814, died in Na- 
tick August 27, 1882, aged sixty-eight, lie came from good old 
patriotic stock ; his grandfather, Peter Harwood, born in Little- 
ton in 1740, was a descendant from the Harwoods of Colonial 
days. He was Lieutenant of Captain Burns' company of Brook- 
field minutemen. and marched at the Lexington alarm. Joining 
the Continental army in 1775, he served as Captain in Colonel 
Leonard's regiment, and as Major and Brigade Major in General 
Nixon's brigade, resigning ( )ctober 16, 1780, having served five 
years. He was officer of the day at the execution of Major 
Andre. At Westminster Academy, the subject of this sketch had 




HON. DANIEL G. WALTON, of Wakefield. 
County Commissioner, 1874-1886. Chairman, 1882- 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 107 

made such proficiency in his studies that he became a successful 
teacher at the age of nineteen. Later on he was in business at 
Adrian, Mich., for three years, returning East at the age of 
twenty-five. He resided successively at Oakham, Fitchburg, and 
Winchendon, where he became an active and enterprising manu- 
facturer, and erected many buildings, both public and private. 
Returning to Adrian, Mich., he resumed business there, but fin- 
ally settled in Natick in 1858. In this town he erected and main- 
tained successfully to the day of his death a factory for the manu- 
facture of baseballs of the regulation pattern, and a tannery to 
produce a quality of leather suitable to be used as a covering. 
This enterprise proved remunerative, and gave employment to a 
large number of people of both sexes, and has proved a blessing 
to the town. 

For his public spirit and enterprise he received the grateful 
acknowledgments of his town in three successive elections to the 
Board of Selectmen. Elected in 18"} 1 upon the Board of County 
Commissioners, he was re-elected three times, six years of which 
he served as Chairman, holding that position at the time of his 
death. During his long business career, he met at times with al- 
most insurmountable difficulties and severe disappointments, but 
these disciplines only served to urge him on to more persevering 
effort, until success finally crowned his labors with abundant re- 
wards. He was a useful and trusted public servant, made so by 
gentlemanly conduct and excellent judgment, united to many of 
those finer qualities of mind and heart which endeared him to a 
loving familv and a wide circle of friends. 



Hon. Daniel Gould Walton, 

Chairman, September, 1882, to January, 1886. 





Born in South Reading April 25, 1824, died in Wakefield 
April 7, 1898, aged seventy-four. He was the son of James and 
Elizabeth (Bryant) Walton, and resided in his native town during 




HON. J. HENRY READ, of Westford, 
County Commissioner, 1876-1897. Chairman, 1886-1897. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 109 

his entire life. In early life Mr. Walton was engaged in various 
business enterprises which proved successful. Among others, 
he was a proprietor with George Wheeler for many years of the 
restaurant in the old station of the Boston & Maine railroad on 
Haymarket square, Boston, where he is favorably remembered 
by the "old guard" of a generation ago. After retiring from 
active business, his sagacity and uprightness won for him the 
confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens to a remarkable de- 
gree, and he was called upon to settle many estates, and to act in 
other trust and fiduciary capacities. By careful and judicious in- 
vestments, he became the largest individual owner of real estate 
in the business centre of Wakefield. He married Elizabeth Jean- 
nette Aborn, of South Reading, a sister of the wife of Hon. 
Thomas Winship, January 11, 1852. Mr. Walton was a member 
of the ( rolden Rule Lodge, A. F. and A. M., and was identified 
with all the Masonic organizations meeting at Melrose. He wa^ 
a director in the National Bank of South Reading, of the Wake- 
field and Stoneham Street Railway Company, and a trustee of 
the Charlestown Five Cent Savings Bank. He has served as Se- 
lectman and ( herseer of the Poor in Wakefield, and was a 
County Commissioner of the County of Middlesex from 1 S7 I to 
1886, serving as Chairman of the board from September, L882, to 
January, L886. 

Hon. Joseph Henry Read, 

Chairman from January, 1886, to January, 1897. 

Born in Westford, August 5, 1835, died at Toledo, O., while 
returning from a trip to the far West, January 26, 1901, aged 
sixty-six. Son of Zaccheus. Jr., and Mary (Heywood) Read. 
His ancestors were among the earliest settlers of Westford. He 
was educated in the schools of his native town and at Westford 
Academy, one of his teachers being the recent able and accom- 



110 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

plished Register of Probate of Middlesex County. Samuel H. 
Folsom, Esq. ; another was Hon. John D. Long. Secretary of the 
Navy. After holding various local offices, such as Selectman 
(ten years), Overseer of the Poor, School Committee (fifteen 
years), Auditor, Moderator, etc., the people of his district, mostly 
a farming population, recognizing in him an example of one of 
their own calling who could represent them acceptably in any 
position, chose him to the General Court in 1872 and 1873. In 
1876 he received further honors by being elected a County Com- 
missioner, to which position he was constantly re-elected until 
L897, a period of twenty-one years, being Chairman during the 
last half of this extended term, only exceeded in point of time by 
but one person in the entire history of the Commissioners, viz., 
Hon. Leonard Huntress, whom he succeeded on said board, the 
combin'ed service of these two gentlemen being forty-seven years, 
a wonderful tribute from the voters of this great county to the 
popularity and satisfactory public service of each. During his 
public career he continued to conduct the ancestral farm in 'West- 
ford, and made it famous for the quality of its apple vintage, 
"Read's cider" being recognized among connoisseurs as a stand- 
ard brand of superior excellence. He was Director and Secretary 
of the West ford Mutual Fire Insurance Company eighteen years, 
director of the Stony Brook railroad twenty-five years, also 
one of the Trustees of Westford Academy. He was a member of 
the Masonic fraternity, and connected with the Lodge, Chapter, 
Council, Commandery, and Consistory in Lowell. He was a man 
of kindly heart and generous impulses, with an abiding faith in 
every one who professed to be a friend. His social qualities, 
while adding nothing to, but extracting much from, his larder of 
worldly riches, increased the priceless value of the esteem of 
those faithful and loving friends who sorrowfully followed his 
mortal remains from the old church, braving the bleak and biting 
blasts of a New England winter's day, and tenderly laid them to 
vest near the ashes and bones of that hardy ancestry which, for 
more than two centuries had battled with elements from without 
and with elements from within, to establish and maintain that 
peace and prosperity which were his by the everlasting right oi 
inheritance. As the rays of the setting sun glittered upon the 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. Ill 

cold and silent peaks of distant ranges, some faithful hearts there 
were among that weeping company, whose visions tore aside 
those frowning battlements of ice and snow, peering beyond to 
catch a glimpse of God's eternal promise of living streams and 
pastures green, where the weary, storm-tossed soul may rest in 
everlasting peace. 

Genealogy of Joseph Henry Read, of Westford. 

(1) Esdras Reade, of Boston, supposed to be a son of 
Matthew and Alice (Ward) Reade, of England. Esdras was a 
man of importance and character. A tract of land situated at 
Muddy Brook, now Brookline, was granted to him by the town 
of Boston, and he also had a grant from the town of Salem, 
where he was living in 1637. From Salem he went to Wenham, 
and served as Representative to the General Court, 1648 to 1651. 
With Rev. John Fiske and six other members of his church, he 
moved to Chelmsford in 1655, subsequently (in 1661) returning 
to Boston, where he died in 1680, as may be seen on his tomb- 
stone in Copp's Hill burial ground. 

(2) Obediah, his son, was married June 19, 1664, to Anna 
Swift. 

(.">) Thomas, son of Obediah and Anna, lived in Chelmsford, 
(hi February 7, 17(»7, he bought land lying between Tadnoc and 
Stony Brooks. 

(4) Thomas, son of Thomas, of Chelmsford, born July, 1665. 
Married Sarah Fletcher. 

(5) Joseph, born June 4, 1 T 1 ( '» . Married Ruth Underwood. 
He represented Westford twenty successive years in the Legis- 
lature, and was commissioned a Deputy Sheriff under the Crown 
in 1746. He was a patriot, and is said to have been connected 
with the famous Boston Tea Party, although his name does not 
appear as an active participant on board the ships. 

(6) Joshua, born December F 1737. Married May 
Spaulding. 

(7) Zaccheus, born March 8, 1773. Married Mary Parker. 

(8) Zaccheus. born January 27, 1796. Married Mary Hey- 
wood. 




HON. WILLIAM S. FROST, of Marlboro. 
County Commissioner, 1882-1893. 



A XVI K\T MIDDLESEX. L13 

(9) Joseph Henry, born August 5, 1835. Married Mary 
Ann Falls. 

The descendants of Esdras were apparently the first settlers 
of Westford. 

Hon. William Squire Frost, 

A resident of Marlboro, was born at Stnkelv, Province of 
Quebec, March 20, 1828, of New England parentage. His 
father, Aaron Frost, went to the provinces from Jaffrey, X. H., 
his mother, Rosetta Knowlton, from Templeton, Mass. When 
eight years of age, his parents moved to Lowell, Mass . and he 
was educated in the public schools of that city. At seventeen 
years of age, he commenced his apprenticeship to the trade of a 
mason, and worked at that business until 1882, the last thirty 
years as contractor and builder. In 1882, at a special election, 
he was elected to the Board of County Commissioners, to fill out 
the unexpired term of Harrison Harwood, deceased. He was 
re-elected for three full terms, making ten years and one month 
in all. September l(i, 1862, he was mustered into the United 
States service as Second Lieutenant in Company I. Fifth Massa- 
chusetts Volunteers, for nine months, and served in North Caro- 
lina, taking part in the battles of Kingston. Whitehall, and Golds 
boro. lie came home with the regiment at expiration of term of 
.service. ( )n the nineteenth of Jul}'. 1864, was mustered into the 
United States service as First Lieutenant of Company I, Fifth 
regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, for one hundred days, was 
stationed as Assistant Provost Marshal at Fort McHenry, Haiti- 
more, in charge of prisoners of all kinds. — rebels, deserters, 
bounty jumpers, etc. Came home with the regiment at the ex- 
piration of term of service; was Chief Engineer of the lore De- 
partment of Marlboro in 1859-60-61. 

He has served on various important town committees, prin- 
cipal of which were remodeling and strengthening the Town 
Hall ; Chairman of committee to investigate the introduction of 




HON. ALPHONSO M. LUNT, of Cambridge, 
County Commissioner, 1886-1889. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 1 ] ."> 

a system of water works into the town ; and one of a committee 
of five to superintend the building of the same. Chairman of 
committee to procure a suitable soldiers' monument ; two years 
Master of United Brethren Lodge, F. and A. M. ; three years 
Commander of Post 43, G. A. R. ; President of Fifth Regiment 
Veteran Association; a member of the Board of Assessors of 
Marlboro during the past seven years, of which he is Chairman 
at the present time. 

Hon. Alphonso Moses Lunt. 

Son of Dr. Moses Dole and Susan (Libby) Lunt. Born in 
.South Berwick, Me., September 6, 1837, and now resides in Cam- 
bridge. After the customary training afforded in a district 
school, he went to Portland and learned the printing business, re- 
maining therein as a journeyman and proprietor both in Portland 
and Boston until August, 1862, when he enlisted as a private in 
Company F, Thirty-eighth Massachusetts Volunteers, in which 
he served during the remainder of the Civil War, being mustered 
out in Jul\-, ISC.."), llis regiment was in Louisiana, and took part 
in the various engagements around Port Hudson. He was also 
in the Shenandoah Valley, and saw active service all along the 
line. At the battle of Opequan Creek. \ a., September 19, 186-i, 
Sergeant Lunt was in command of the color guard, and person- 
ally bore the national tlag throughout the engagement. At one 
time the rebel line of battle, carrying several battle hags, were 
within talking distance, and although the whole of his color 
guard was swept away, and for a while he stood alone amid the 
dead and wounded, under a tremendous lire from ten times the 
number of the Union forces, still he remained where he had been 
placed by his colonel as steadily and bravely as though on parade, 
encouraging and begging the men not to fall back until victory 
finally resulted. During this stand n\ Sergeant Lunt. twenty- 
two bullets penetrated the flag, and the brass lance on the top of 
the staff was shot away. Tn 1S!H he was awarded by the govern- 




HON. SAMUEL 0. UPHAM, of Waltham. 
County Commissioner, 1889 . 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 117 

merit a "Medal of Honor." upon which is inscribed the following: 
"The Congress to Sergeant Alphonso M. Lunt. Company F, 35th 
Mass. Vol's, for most distinguished conduct at the hattle of 
( )pequan Creek, Va., Sep. L9th, 1864." He is a Past Com- 
mander of Post 57, G. A. R., and served as a member of the 
Board of County Commissioners from 1886 to 1889, since which 
time he has been connected with the revenue and postal depart- 
ment of the government. 

Hon. Samuel Otis Upham. 




Son of Otis and Mary (Sloan) Upham. Was born in 
Waltham January 21, 1824, where he still resides. He comes 
from the best Colonial stock of ancient Middlesex, being seventh 
in descent from John Upham (ancestor of all of the name), who 
came to Weymouth in 1635, finally settling in Maiden, where he 
died m 1681. Lieutenant Phineas Upham, his son, the lineal 
ancestor of the subject of this sketch, was a man of commanding 
presence, being more than six feet in height, and possessing won- 
derful powers of physical endurance, as well as unflinching 
courage. He participated with the Fourth Massachusetts com- 
pany. Captain Johnson, in that memorable march to Narragan- 
sett through the blizzards and biting blasts of midwinter, to at- 
tack the "great swamp fort" of King Philip December 19, 1675, 
by which the power of this mighty chieftain was crushed forever. 
In this sanguinary conflict Captain Johnson was killed outright. 
and the leadership of his men devolved on Lieutenant Upham. 
who fought on until desperately wounded. The remnant of tin- 




HON. FRANCIS BIGELOW. of Natick, 
County Commissioner, 1893 — . 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



I L9 



heroic band bore him from the field, and finally, after terrible pri- 
vations, he arrived at his home only to lie down and die. To 
this brave man, and such as he, are we indebted for our priceless 
legacies of liberty and happiness. Samuel O. Upham attended 
the common schools of his native town, and at an early age 
worked in the cotton mills of that place. In due time he was ap- 
prenticed to a hatter, serving his full time, afterwards work- 
ing at his trade in Boston, Portland, Xew York, and elsewhere. 
Earl}' in life he was interested in politics, and became a warm ad- 
herent of his friend and fellow-townsman, Hon. Nathaniel P. 
Banks, entering into the various political contests of his chief 
with all the fire and energy of an ardent and impulsive nature. 
His sincerity and sterling qualities have attracted a wide circle of 
acquaintances whose friendship and confidence is unlimited, as 
evidenced in the universal success which has attended his politi- 
cal career for more than half a century. The people of Waltham 
chose him several times upon the Board of Selectmen, and he 
served them man)- years as town Moderator. In 1855 he was 
elected to the House of Representatives, serving again in 1887- 
1SSS, when he was Dean of the House. He was Messenger of 
the Governor and Council from 1858 to 1861. From 18(il to 
ISC).") he was in the Boston Custom House, and Postmaster of the 
city of Waltham from 1869 to 1886. Since the formation of the 
Republican part}-, he has been an ardent, firm, and consistent 
supporter of its policy. He is a Past Master of Monitor Lodge, 
A. F. and A. M., ami a member of the Royal Arch Chapter at 
Waltham. He is now serving his sixth term upon the Board of 
Count v Commissioners, having been first elected in 1889. 



Hon. Francis Bigelow. 



/ zjEC^e^cs-cSXD 



Son of Charles and Rebecca (Babcock) Bigelow. Born in 
Sherborn April 21, Ps40 ; now resides in Natick. His opportuni- 
ties for schooling, like those of most country boys, were brief, as 



120 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

he was apprenticed to a carpenter at the age of fourteen. ( )n 
completing his term of service, he worked a while at his trade, 
then drove a stage, afterwards ran an express, and finally became 
a successful shoe manufacturer in Xatick, from which he retired 
with a competency some years ago. His sound judgment and 
business ability are fully recognized by the people of Xatick and 
vicinity, as well as by those of the County of Middlesex. He has 
served many years on the Board of Water and Sewer Commis- 
sioners of the town of Xatick, and is a valuable member of the 
Board of Trustees of the savings bank in that town. He was a 
member of the House of Representatives in 1ST!) and 1880, and 
of the Senate in L885 and 1SS(>. He has been a member of the 
Board of County Commissioners since 1893. Francis Bigelow is 
a descendant in the seventh generation from John Biglo and 
Mary Warren, whose marriage in 1642 was the first one recorded 
in Watertown. John Biglo was a surveyor of highways in said 
town from L652 to 1660, and a Selectman in 1665-70-77. He is 
mentioned in the early records as John Biglo, John Biggalough, 
John Bigolo, and John Bigulah, according to the orthography of 
the clerk who happened to be the recording officer. 

This confusion doubtless arose from the fact that the origi- 
nal John was an illiterate blacksmith, who probably could 
neither read or write, as he always made his mark to documents 
requiring his signature, and quite likely could not spell his name 
twice alike; however, his oldest son, John, adopted the name of 
Bigelow, and it has clung to the family ever since. John Biglo 
served in King Phi-lip's War, and is the common ancestor of the 
American family bearing the name of Bigelow, among whom 
there have been and still are men highly distinguished in 
theology, the law, medicine, literature, politics, science, and art. 
By his wife Mary he had thirteen children. He died July 14, 
1703, at Watertown, aged eighty-six. His estate inventoried 
£627 bis., quite a sum for those days. Among the funeral ex- 
penses paid by his estate was a bill for "twenty gallons of wine, 
with allspice and sugar, and two men and horses to carry the 
wine to the funeral"! Mary Warren was born in England, and 
ime to this country with her father, as some assert, in Governor 
.Vinthrop's party in 1630. Her father's name was John W r arren, 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 121 

and he was recorded with one hundred and eighteen other in- 
habitants of Watertown as a Freeman in 1631. He was made a 
surveyor of highways in 1635, and Selectman from 1636 to 1640. 
Why he came to America and brought his daughter into this wil- 
derness is not apparent, but one thing seems to be estab- 
lished : that he was a lineal descendant from "William the Con- 
queror." King of England. Among those who fought at the 
battle of Hastings, October 14, 1066, which gave the control of 
England to William, Duke of Normandy, was one William de 
\\ arren, a Norman baron, whose services were so highly valued 
by "The Conqueror" that he gave him the hand of "Gundred" 
and two hundred and ninety-eight English manors, with lavish 
titles. Through "Burke's Peerage," and equally valuable 
authorities, there seems to be no difficulty in tracing the blood of 
William and Gundred through twenty generations to that 
humble Puritan maiden, Mary Warren. United to that sturdy 
blacksmith, she has transmitted, considerably diluted in the strug- 
gles of more than eight centuries, a dash of the best blood of the 
royal lines of England, German)-, France, and Italy! Strange as 
it may seem, this is not an idle tale, but a truthful incident in 
genealogical research. It is introduced here solely as an episode 
of interest not only to the subject of this sketch and his relatives 
and friends, but to all who inherit the name of Bigelow from 
John Biglo, of Watertown, also to such as claim the name of 
Warren and carry a fraction of the blood of kings and queens as 
it coursed through the veins of the original John Warren, the 
father of Mary. To the casual observer, it points to the oft- 
repeated maxim that "blood will tell," and thus it happens that 
this combination of the fiery Italian, the mercurial Frenchman, 
the phlegmatic German, the Norwegian Corsair, and the sturdy 
Norman, with the plain and unpretentious Puritan, has produced 
the highest type of the liberty-loving, God-fearing, American 
citizen. 




HON. LEVI S. GOULD, of Melrose, 
County Commissioner, 1897 . Chairman, 1897 



LNCIENT Ml DDLESEX. 



L23 



Hon. Levi Swanton Gould, 
Chairman, January, J 897, to date. 



^^^^LdU 




Son of Dr. Levi and Elizabeth Webb (Whitmore) Gould. 
Bom in Dixmont, Me., March 27, 1834. Was educated in Wil- 
mington and North Maiden, now Melrose, where he has resided 
since childhood. Learned the shoemaker's trade, and worked at 
the bench in earl_\ life, but subsequently became an accountant, 
and finally for many years was a furniture manufacturer and 
dealer in Boston, from which business he retired in 1889. lie 
was a Selectman of Melrose in 1869, and Chairman of the Hoard 
from INS) to 1892. From 1865 to 1899 (thirty-five years) he 
served as town moderator continuously, to which office he was 
elected one hundred and eight times, which, with one hundred, 
and seven adjournments, made two hundred and fifteen meetings 
over which he was called upon to preside during' the life of the 
town, and when it became a city in 1900, he was elected the first 
Mayor. He was a member of the House of Representatives in 
L868 and 1869. He has been upon the Board of County Com- 
missioners since 1897, serving as its Chairman during the entire 
period. He is President of the Melrose Co-operative Bank, and 
a director of the Melrose National Bank. He was President of 
the New England Furniture Exchange in 1883 and 1884, and of 
the Furniture Club of Boston in 1886. He is a member of the 
Massachusetts Society of Colonial Wars, the Society Sons of 
the American Revolution, W. 1'. M. of Wyoming Lodge, A. F. 
and A. M.. an officer of Waverly R. A. Chapter, and a member 
of Hugh de Pavne's Commandery, and of the Scottish Rites. 
He is Past Chancellor of Fordell Lodge, K. of P., and is con- 
nected with manv other societies and organizations. 



1£4 \M IKNT MIDDLESEX. 

He is a descendant from John Gould, the first settler of 
Charlestown End, now Stoneham (1635), and Francis Whitmore, 
often mentioned as an officer and otherwise of the town of Cam- 
bridge (1636), whose grave stone is in the old cemetery in Med- 
ford square. Both were troopers in King" Philip's War, John 
Gould bearing arms until after seventy-two years of age.* Jacob 
Gould, great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, with two 
of his sons, were minntemen of Stoneham, and all three were in 
the Concord fight. They went from the old homestead at the 
head of Spot Pond, the land surrounding the same, now owned 
by the Commonwealth, having been in the family during many 
generations. The locality was first mentioned by Governor 
Winthrop, he having" visited it in 1632. Tradition has it that 
one of the Goulds rode without saddle or bridle a favorite white 
mare into the trenches at Bunker Hill. Before the firing began, 
he turned the faithful beast loose, and she trotted safely back to 
her barn in Stoneham. It is also said that he wore on that day 
an old-fashioned shaggy beaver, of which he was very proud. 
It was lost in the rush of the retreat. P5eing railed by his com- 
panions, he returned over the ground, found the hat. and bore it 
away in triumph, but riddled with bullets. His ancestors were 
among the earliest settlers of ancient Middlesex, and were rep- 
resented in every war of the Colonial and Revolutionary period. 
Mary Lane, (laughter of Major John Lane, of Billerica (who 
fought in King Philip's, King William's, and Queen Anne's 
Wars), a direct ancestor of the subject of this sketch (through 
John Whitmore, &d, her husband), on the occasion of an Indian 
raid while her father was away, shot the last savage killed in I » i 1 — 
lerica. She lived to be ninety-seven years of age. Her mother 
was Susannah, a daughter of Captain John Whipple, a noted 
military man of Ipswich. Job Lane, father of Major John, was 
one of the earliest settlers of Maiden. He fought in King 
Philip's War. He was a carpenter, and is said to have built one 
of the first buildings for Harvard College; also the great bridge 
across the Concord at Billerica. He boimht the Governor 



* " June 20, 1682, John Gould of Stoneham aged about 7-1 years is 
"released from all ordinary traynings." — See Fol. 46, Court Records 
Middlesex County. 



YXCIKNT MIDDI l>l A. 



L25 



Winthrop farm of about 1,500 acres in Billerica (now Bedford), 
and it was upon this estate that his son, Major John, lived and 
died. The mother of Major John was Anna, daughter of Rev. 
John Rayner, pastor of the first church in Plymouth, 1636 to 
L654. Through Deacon John Whitmore, of Medford, son of 
\ Francis the first (who served with Alajor Swayne against the Saeo 
Indians), and Rachel (Poulter), who was a daughter of Francis 
Eliot, of Braintree (now Ouincy), he is descended from Bennett 
Eliot, of Nazing, County of Essex, Eng., who was the father of 
Rev. John Eliot, the distinguished "Apostle of the Indians." 
The mother of Rachel Eliot was Mar}-, daughter of Martin 
Saunders, who came over in the "Planter" in 1635. He was one 
of the earliest settlers of Braintree; one of the Selectmen, and 
the first innholder. 

Francis Eliot died January 17, 1697. About 1650 he be- 
came a teacher among 1 the Praying Indians, under his elder 
brother, the "Apostle. ' 

Through Dorcas Belcher, wife of Daniel Gould, he is de- 
scended from Jeremiah Belcher of Ipswich, 1635. Through his 
grandmother, Hannah Ilill, whose grandfather, James, married 
Lois Upham, he is descended from Lieutenant l'hineas Upham, 
of Maiden, who was wounded in the "Great Swamp" fight at 
Xarragansett against King Philip. 




Homestead of Jacob Gould at Spot Pond, Stoneham. Built about 1 fOO. 
From this house he and his two sons went to the Lexington fight, April, 
Id, ITT".. 




HON. WILLIAM PYNCHON. of Roxbury and Springfield, 
Colonial Treasurer, 1632-1634. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 127 



Treasurers of the " Governor and Company of the 

Massachusetts Bay in New England/' These 

Officers probably performed the duties 

of County Treasurers Previous 

to 1654. 



George Harwood, of London, May 13, 1629. 
I [e never came to New England. 

Samuel Aldersey, of London, December 1, 1629. 

lie was also elected as an Assistant, in London, ( )ctober 20, 
Lf>29, Imt there is no evidence that he ever came over. 

Hon. William Pynchon, of Roxbury, August 7, 1632. 

He came over with Winthrop, and was an Assistant from 
1630 to 1636 and from 1646 to 1650. In 1636 he led a colony to 
Springfield and governed the same as magistrate until L652. In 
1650 he wrote a book concerning- "justification," which the 
apostle Eliot denounced as heretical. Its teachings were discussed 
by the General Court, the hook condemned and ordered to he 
burned. Pynchon returned to England, where he died, at Wrais- 
burg, October 29. 1662, aired seventy-two years. 





GOV. WILLIAM CODDINGTON, of Boston, and in 1637 of Rhodf Island. 
Colonial Treasurer, 1634-1636. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 129 

Gov. William Coddington, of Boston, May J8, 1634. 



He came with Winthrop, and was an Assistant from 1630 to 
1636. He emigrated to Rhode Island in 1637, where he was 
active in the development of that colony, of which he was Gov- 
ernor, "on consent of the governed," as he was pleased to term it. 
from 1640 to 1647. As might be supposed, considering his sur- 
roundings, he became a Quaker towards the last of his career. 
Died November 1. 1678, aged seventy-seven years. 



Hon. Richard Dummer, of Roxbury, May 26, J 636. 



OLic;±zme£ *^ 



Born in 1599 at Rishopstoke, Hants. He came on the 
"Whale" May 24, 1632, and built a mill in Roxbury in 1633. Ik' 
was an Assistant from 1633 to 1636, and Representative from 
Kill) to '45 and in L647. With Thomas Dudley and Simon P.rad- 
street he held the position of a magistrate of the Inferior Court. 
held at Ipswich and Newbury, lie moved from Roxbury. and 
spent the balance of his life in Newbury within the Parish of 
I Arield, where he had an extensive plantation finely stocked, and 
was rated as the richest man in the colony. He fell from Puritan 
grace, however, being a follower of Ann Hutchinson. Judge 
Jeremiah Dummer. a silversmith of Boston, who sat on the bench 
until 1715, was his son. His grandson, William Dummer, Act- 
ing Governor of the colony, a son of Jeremiah, was the founder 
of "Dummer Academy," of Pytield. distinguished as the earliest 
institution of its class in this Commonwealth. Another grand- 
son, Samuel, was Sheriff of Middlesex County; still another was 
Jeremiah, one of the most brilliant men of lbs day. He died 
December 14, 1679, aged eight) years. 



130 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

Gov. Richard Bellingham, of Boston, May 17, 1637. 

He came over in 1634, and became very prominent in public- 
affairs. His mansion was situated on Tremont street, nearly 
opposite the northerly end of Kings Chapel burying ground. He 
was Deputy Governor in 1635, and in a heated campaign was 
elected Governor in 1641 by a majority of six votes over John 
Winthrop. He was re-elected in 1654 and again in 1665. In 
Kiel he was Major-General. He appears to have served thirteen 
years as Deputy Governor and ten years as Governor, dying in 
the latter office December 7, 1672, aged eighty years. 

Captain William Tyng, of Boston, May 13, 1640. 

Came on the ship Nicholas in 1638. He was a very promi- 
nent and wealthy merchant of Boston, whose mansion house and 
gardens occupied the present site of Adams Square, and its imme- 
diate vicinity. He was Selectman from 1639 to 1644 and Repre- 
sentative in 1639-40-41-42-43 and '47. He was again elected to 
represent the town of Braintree in 1649-50 and '51. He died 
January 18, 1652. 

Hon. Richard Russell, of Chariestown, November 13, 1644. 

He was born in Hereford, England, in 1611, and came over 
in 1640. Like his predecessor in office he became a very success- 
ful merchant, whose position and character w 7 as of the highest 
order. He was First Lieutenant of A. H. A. Company, Speaker 
of the House of Representatives in 1647-48-54-56 and '58, and an 
Assistant from 1659 to 1676. He died May 15, 1677, aged 
sixtv-six vears. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 131 

TREASURERS OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY 
SINCE 1654 

Hon. Thomas Danforth, of Cambridge, 1654 to 1657 (3 years). 

He was one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the 
colony. His official career, which was varied and covered many 
years, is detailed among' the "Clerks of Court." He was a co- 
worker with the "Apostle" Eliot among- the Indians. 

Edward Goffe, of Cambridge, 1657 to 1658 (1 year). 




He landed in America in 1635, having heen shipwrecked in 
a previous voyage in 1634. He settled in Cambridge, where he 
became wealthy and influential. His estate was a fine one of 
about thirty acres in the heart of the town. Between 16:56 and 
1655 he was Selectman sixteen years. He was Representative in 
1646-47-48-49 and 50. He died in the office of Treasurer ( Octo- 
ber 26, 1658. 

John Stedman, of Cambridge, 1658 to 1683 (25 years). 



_^~|^~ 



Born in England in 1601. He came over in 1638 as steward 
to Rev. Jose Glover, who died during the passage. After serv- 
ing a while with the widow Glover, who afterwards married Henry 
Dunster, the first president of Harvard College, he established 
himself in business on the present corner of Mount Auburn 
street and Brattle square. Having been granted by the town a 
monopoly in the sale of furs, he prospered greatly for half a cen- 
tury and became wealthy. He was Selectman sixteen years, be- 
tween 1610 and 1676, and was an Ensign in 1645. He lived to 
the ripe old age of ninety-two years, dying December 1<i, L693, 
honored and respected. 




132 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

Samuel Andrew, of Cambridge, 1683 to 1700 (17 years). 

Born in 1621. In early life he was a ship-master of recog- 
nized ability, manifested in his selection by Harvard College as 
an expert to settle some disputed questions in navigation. He 
was a Constable in 1666, a position of great importance in those 
days; Selectman, 1681 to 1693; Town Clerk, 1682 to 1693, and 
Town Treasurer, 1694 to 1699. An influential public servant. 
1 [e died, highly respected, June 2 1 . 1701, aged eighty years. 

Hon. James Russell, of Charlestown, 1700 to 1709 (9 Years). 




Born October 1. 1640. Son of Hon. Richard Russell, Col- 
onial Treasurer. He was an Assistant from 1680 to 1686 ; a Rep- 
resentative to the General Court ; one of the Council, and a Judge 
of the Inferior Court from December 7. 1692, to April 28, 1709. 
He died in the office of Treasurer April 28, 1709, aged sixty-nine 
years. 

Daniel Russell, of Charlestown, 1709 to 1763 (54 Years). 




Born December 1, 1085. Son of Hon. James Russell, whom 
he succeeded in the office of Treasurer, remaining in said office 
until the date of his death, covering a period of more than half 
a century. He was "Provincial Commissioner of Imposts," and 
a member of the Council for twenty years. He died December 6, 
1.763, aged seventy-eight years. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. L33 

Hon. James Russell, of Charlestown, 1763 to 1776 (13 Years). 



C/<*<0^&^^ 



Born August 5, 1715. He was the son of Hon. Daniel Rus 
sell, his predecessor in office, thus completing an unbroken line 
of family service in this office, through his father and grand- 
father, of seventy-six years. He was a Representative in the 
General Court from 1746 to 1759, and afterwards a member of 
the Council. He was appointed Judge of the Inferior Court May 
17, 1771, and sat on the bench until the outbreak of the Revolu- 
tion. At various times he lived in Dunstable, Lincoln, and 
Charlestown, dying in the latter place in 1798, aged eighty-three. 

David Cheever, of Charlestown, 1776 to 1778 (2 Years). 

Born June 1, 1722. A distiller and prominent member of 
the First Church. He was a Selectman from 1701 to 1768; one 
of the "Committee of Correspondence" November 27, 1773; dele- 
gate to the Provincial Congress 1774-75 and '76; a Representa- 
to the General Court at YVatertown, and a Justice of the Court of 
Common Pleas of Middlesex from May 3, 1776, to September, 
1778. In 1778 he moved to Boston, when the General Court de- 
clared the office of Treasurer vacant, through his removal, and 
ordered a special election to fill the vacancy. As an ardent and 
active patriot he took a prominent part in the proceedings which 
brought about the Revolution, it being a matter of record that 
he was elected Moderator of a meeting which assembled at the 
Old South meeting house, December 14, 1773, to take action con- 
cerning the tea, and he was also one of a committee appointed to 
obtain from the collector a clearance for the tea ships. At the 
battle of Bunker Hill, the British destroyed his mansion house, 
cooper's shop and distillery, amounting in the aggregate to 



i;n 



ANCIKNT MIDDLESEX. 



£2,176 sterling-. His wife died in Dorchester, October, 1811, and 
he appears to have been living- at that time, but when administra- 
tion upon her estate was applied for in 1815 he was represented to 
be deceased. He was one of the founders of American Liberty 
who suffered for the cause. At the time of his death he was up- 
wards of ninety years of age. 



Adj. Gen. Ebenezer Bridge, of Chelmsford, 1778 to 1807 (29 
years). 




Horn there April 29, 1744. He was the son of Rev. Eben- 
ezer Bridge, a distinguished minister of that town, and was grad- 
uated at Harvard in 1764. After leaving college, he taught 
school in Worcester for several terms, and finally became a dealer 
in "East and West India goods" in Billerica. In ITT-") he was 
chosen Colonel of the Twenty-seventh Regiment of Minutemen. 
This regiment participated in the battle of Bunker Hill, where he 
was wounded. He was also the first Adjutant-General of this 
Commonwealth, having been appointed under the first Act for 
the government of the Militia, approved March 3, 1781. His 
appointment fixed him at that time as a citizen of Chelmsford. 
He was Register of Deeds from 1776 to 1781, and Senator from 
L781 to 1800. Why he did not remain in the military service in 
the field is probably explained from the fact that the manage- 
ment of his command at Bunker Hill was a subject of sharp crit- 
icism, although an honorable wound received in battle would 
seem to set aside any question of personal valor. That the people 
believed in him is evident, through thirty-one years of constant 
public service. After a painful and lingering illness, he passed 
away at I fardwick, N. Y., February !>, 1814. aged seventy years. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 135 

Hon. John Leighton Tuttle, of Concord, 1807 to J8J3 (6 years). 




Born in Littleton, Mass., February 10, 1774. Educated at 
New Ipswich Academy, and fitted for college by Air. Willard, the 
minister at Boxboro. A graduate of Harvard, class of 1796. 
After studying law with Hon. Timothy Bigelow, of Groton, and 
Hon. Simeon Strong, of Amherst, he settled in Concord, in 1800, 
where he gained a brilliant reputation at the bar. He resigned 
from the Senate, of which he was a member from 1808 to 1813, 
to accept a commission as Lieutenant-Colonel, commanding the 
Ninth Regiment, Continental Infantry, in the war of 1812. He 
died suddenly at Sacketts Falls, X. Y., July 23, 1813, at the age 
of thirty-nine years. It is supposed that he was poisoned by 
miscreants who hoped to obtain a large sum of money belonging 
to the Cnited States, thought to be in his possession. When the 
United States government sued the executor of his estate to re- 
cover for the money missing, Hon. Samuel Hoar set up as a 
defense that Colonel Tuttle was robbed and murdered, which the 
verdict of the jury sustained. While his death was not as heroic 
as though he had fallen on the field of battle, still his life was 
sacrificed in the service of his country. He was Worshipful 
Master of Corinthian Lodge, A. F. and A. M., of Concord in 
1807 and '08. 

Hon. John Keyes, of Concord, 18 J 3 to J 837 (24 years). 



/^^^^ 



He was born in W'estford March 2d, 1787, and graduated at 
Dartmouth in 1809. He rode on horseback from his home to 
Hanover, N. H., and then sold his horse to obtain the money with 
which to pay his board and tuition. He graduated second in a 
class of which the distinguished lawyer and statesman, Levi 




JOHN KEYES. of Concord 
County Treasurer IS 13 to 1837. 



\\i 1 1 : n r \iim>i,i:m:\. |:;; 

Woodbury, was the first scholar. He studied law with John Ab- 
bott, of Westford, who was afterwards noted as Grand Master of 
Masons in the dark days of 1834. He was Postmaster of Con- 
cord from 1812 to 183? ; a member of the Constitutional Conven- 
tion of 1820; a Representative in 1821 and 1^'2; a Senator from 
1823 to 1829, also again in the I louse as Representative from 
1832 to is:!:!, and in L835 serving as speaker pro-tem during most 
of the session. While his public service was lengthy and distin- 
guished, he suffered materially in his political relations through 
the unreasonable calumny which assailed all faithful members of 
the "craft" during the crusades of the anti-Masonic period, losing 
the office of Treasurer, after twenty-four years of faithful service. 
to the anti-Masonic candidate. He served as Junior Grand 
Warden of the Grand Lodge from 1824 to 1826, and Senior 
Grand Warden in 182? and 1828. He was a man of sterling in- 
tegrity, of dignified presence, and excellent business judgment, 
the latter being evident in the size of his estate, which was one of 
the largest ever administered upon in Middlesex County up to 
that date. He was a Director in the Concord Bank and in the 
Mill Dam Corporation, a Trustee of the Middlesex Savings In- 
stitution, and President of the Middlesex Mutual Fire Insurance 
Company. He died August 29, 1844, aged fifty-seven years. 

Stedman Buttrick., of Concord, 1837 to 1855 (18 Years). 

Born there September 16, 1 796. He was a member of the 
Buttrick family renowned for patriotism in the Revolutionary 
period. He was a Selectman several years and Town Clerk from 
1842 to 1851, and represented the town of Concord in 1836-37-38 
and '39 as a Democrat and anti-Mason. He was also the candi- 
date of the anti-Masonic party for County Treasurer, defeating 
his fellow townsman, John Keyes. He resided upon the estate and 
cultivated the very ground from which Major John Buttrick, his 
grandfather, gave the order which fired "the shot heard 'round the 
world.''' Three of his sons, true to their ancestry, were in the Civil 








•**» 




STEDMAN BUTTRICK, of Concord. 

County Treasurer 1837 to 1855. 

(See page 137.) 



wriKNT MIDDLESEX. 139 

war; one of them died in the service, having previously fought 
for the cause of freedom under John Brown, in Kansas. Sted- 
man Buttrick was a man of splendid physique, and a striking ex- 
ample of the sterling qualities of mind and body which charac- 
terized the yeomanry of Middlesex county. In youth he was 
fond of hunting and fishing, and in later years of a good game of 
whist. His last words, so it is said, were: "What's trumps?" 
He died November 7, 18T4, aged seventy-eight years. 




AMOS STONE, of Everett. 
County Treasurer 1855 to 1886. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



141 



Amos Stone, of Charlestown and Everett, J 855 to 1886 (3 J 

years). 




Born in Weare, N. H., August 16, 1816. He came to 
Charlestown when eight years of age, and was educated in the 
public schools of that town. When Charlestown became a city 
he was elected Treasurer, and held the office from 1847 to 1855, 
During the latter year he was elected Treasurer of the County of 
"Middlesex, and so continued until L886, declining' a further elec- 
tion. His family was noted in public affairs; one of the brothers 
being Mayor of Charlestown, both of them vigorously opposing 
annexation as a scheme to swallow up that historic municipality 
and make it simply an outlying ward of the City of Boston, and a 
football for designing politicians. After the County of "Middle- 
sex was obliged to submit to the dismemberment of the territory 
made famous by its colonial settlers and righting yeomanry. Amos 
Stone moved to Everett, where he was prominent in local affairs. 
During many years lie was President and Treasurer of the Five 
Cents Savings Bank, and President of the Monument National 
Bank, two highly successful institutions of Charlestown. He 
died February 13, 1896, aged eighty years. 




JOSEPH ORLIN HAYDEN, of Somerville. 
County Treasurer 1886 to date. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 143 

Joseph Orlin Hayden, of Somerville, 1886 to date (19 years). 




Born in Blandford, Mass., July 8, 1847. He was educated in 
the public schools of Blandford and Chicopee and the academy at 
Granville. At seventeen years of age, following- the advice of 
Horace Greeley, he went West, where he performed clerical ser- 
vice for a time, finally becoming interested in a newspaper in 
Minneapolis, Minn. In 1868 he came to Somerville. From that 
date until 1876 he was manager of the Boston Daily and Sunday 
Times, when he accepted the management of the Somerville 
Journal, and has so continued until the present time. During 
several years he was President of the Somerville Water Board 
and of the Suburban Press Association, until he declined re-elec- 
tion. At the present time he is President of a highly prosperous 
financial institution, the Somerville National Bank. The system- 
atic details introduced into the management of the treasury de- 
partment by Mr. Hayden have been recommended by the 
Controller of County Accounts for adoption by County Treas- 
urers throughout the Commonwealth. 

N. B. It is worthy of note that hut 14 persons have served as 
County Treasurers, covering a period of 250 years. It is also interest- 
ing to gather from the foregoing that Hon. Richard Russell served the 
colony and county 10 years, his son, Hon. James Russell, served the 
county 9 years, his grandson. Hon. Daniel Russell, served 54 years, and 
his great-grandson, Hon. James Russell, served 13 years to the Revo- 
lutionary period, in all a family service of 86 years, 76 of which was con- 
secutive. It is doubtful if anything approaching this extended period 
can be found in the annals of official service in any department of this 
or any other Commonwealth, when applied to so important a position, 
except in the family of Francis Foxcroft elsewhere mentioned, which 
served through father, sons and grandsons, in different official positions, 
an aggregate of 04 years! It seems to indicate that the people of ancient 
Middlesex were loth to discard the services oi a faithful public servant 
until death or disability intervened. — [Ed. 



144 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



THE BEADLE AND MARSHAL-GENERAL. 

The Beadle was the earliest officer known in colonial times- 
charged with duties similar to those of court officers of the pres- 
ent day. The position of Marshal-General was analagous to that 
of High Sheriff. This officer administered the extreme penalties 
of the law upon such as were found guilty and duly sentenced. 
Previous to the appointment of Sheriffs, the Marshal-General 
acted throughout the colony. 



James Penn, of Boston, 1630 to 1637 (7 years). 

Game over with Winthrop. At the first session of the As- 
sistants on board the Governor's ship, Arbella, in Gharlestown 
harbor, he was chosen Beadle, "to attend upon the Governor and 
ahvaies be ready to execute his commands in publique busi- 
nesses." lie took the oath of office at the second session, Sep- 
tember ?, 1630.* He was chosen by the General Court as "Mar- 
shal-General of the Court" September 25, L634. He was Repre- 
sentative in L64S and 1(149. In spiritual matters he was un- 
doubtedly a man of great piety, being" for main years a ruling 
elder of the church. He died September 30, 1671. 



""First Court of Assistants, holden att Charlton" August "_'•">, 1630. 
"It was ordered, that James Pen should have 20 nobles p aim, & a 
"(laves worke of a man att springe from eny able famyly, to help build 
"his house, his yeare to begin the 1th of September nexte. His im- 
"ployemt to be as a beadle to attend upon the Gounr, and ahvaies to be 
"ready to execute his comands in publique businesses." 

At the 2nd Court September 7 "James Pen did now take the oath t t\ 
beadle." 

The foregoing i^ a copy t>i the original record. — [Ed. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 1 15 

Edward Mitchellsonn, of Cambridge, 1637 to 1681 (44 years)* 

J2JJ- 

He came over in 1635, and was appointed Marshal-General 
i-.i 1637, holding the office until his death, a period of forty-four 
years. During that extended period he was charged with the sad 
duty of executing the unfortunate Quakers persecuted for "con- 
science sake." He was a member of the A. H. A. Company, 
1638. In the year 1668 the court passed an order directing that 
in lieu of fees he be paid out of the "Country Treasury the sum of 
fifty pounds per annum to provide for so ancient a servant of this 
court some comfortable maintainance." He died March T, 1681. 

John Green, of Cambridge, 1 68 1 to 1687 and from 1689 to 1691 
(8 years). 

Born there in June, 1636. He was an only son of Percival, 
who came over in 1635 on the "Susan and Ellen." John Green 
married a daughter of Edward and Ruth (Bushell) Mitchellsonn. 
He succeeded Mitchellsonn as Marshal-General, holding the 
office ten vears. except during the Andros administration in 1681 
to 1689, when he was superseded by Samuel Gookin. In 1689 lie 
was reappointed. He died March 3, 1690-91, aged fifty-five 
years. See note. 

Samuel Gookin, of Cambridge, 1687 to 1689 (2 years). 

He was a son of Major-General Daniel Gookin, and is noted 
below as a Sheriff of Middlesex County. He appears to have 
served under Andros in 1687 and '88, being superseded by John 
Green as above. 

Note. Dr. Samuel A. Green, ex-mayor of Boston ami noted a- an 
historian, is a direct descendant of John Green.— [Ed. 



1 |i; ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



SHERIFFS OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY. 

The office of Sheriff comes down through the remotest 
antiquity of County history in the mother country, some authori- 
ties tracing it back to the Romans. In the government of this 
colony, it was adopted some time after the organization of conn- 
ties in 1643. 

Capt. Timothy Phillips, of Charlestown, 1692 to 1702 (10 
years). 

Born September L5, 1658. He was without doubt the first 
Sheriff of Middlesex count)' succeeding the Andros period. He 
was the son of Henry, of Dedham. Admitted to the church in 
Ills';. Constable of Charlestown the same year. His business 
appears to have been that of a landlord or common-victualler. 
Judge Sewall in his diary. Vol. [.-450, under date of March 24, 
.1 1 96, says that he "dined with Sheriff Phillips and wife and Mr. 
Phips and wife" (presumably Samuel Phipps, who was County 
Clerk and both Register of Deeds and Probate). Sheriff Phillips 
died May 7, 1712, aged fifty-three years. 

Capt. Samuel Gookin, of Cambridge, 1702 to 1714(12 years). 



Horn April 22, 1652. Noted above as a son of Major-Gen- 
eral Daniel Gookin, a friend of the "praying Indians," of John 
Eliot's time, lie was not only Marshal-General of the colony 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



1 



for a brief period, but was a Captain of Militia in 1692 and active 
in the Indian troubles. He also raised troops in 1711 for an ex- 
pedition to Canada. In 168? he was appointed a Sheriff of Mid- 
dlesex, under Andros, whom lie ardently supported. In addition 
to his term of twelve years he was again appointed in 1718 and 
served until 1729. Of his ability there can be but one opinion. 
but in many ways he appears to have lacked discretion. His 
service of two terms of twelve years each as Sheriff is sufficient 
evidence that the authorities forgave his zeal and friendship for 
the despised Andros. He died September 26, 1730, aged sev- 
entv-eight vears. See note. 



Col. Edmund Goffe, of Cambridge, J 71 4 to 1717 (3 years >. 




Horn 1670. Graduated from Harvard in 1690. Selectman, 
171? and 'IS. Representative 1716 to 1724. Colonel in 1724, 
and engaged against the Indians. He was a very able business 
man and accumulated a large estate, hut towards the close of his 
life became of unsound mind as appears by a report of the Select- 
men. June 11. 17 10. on which lie was committed to "Gaol," 
where he survived hut four months. During the time of his 
mental troubles the records show that his property was largely 
dissipated and his estate was rendered insolvent thereby, lie 
died October l(i. 1 7 l<>, aged seventy vears. 



Samuel Gookin, 1717 to 1729 (12 years). 

See above. 

Note. Samuel Gookin, a son of above, who was born August 14. 
1683, and died in lTtiT, was appointed Deputy Sheriff by his father in 170*2, 
when 19 years of age, and appears to have served as such until about the 
time of his death at S4 years of age. a period of about t;."> years. 



14S ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

Samuel Dtimmer, of Wilmington, 1729 to 1731 (2 years). 




Born in Boston in 1690. He was the second son of Jere- 
miah 1 hnnmer, a prominent silversmith of Boston, who was a son 
of Richard, of Newbury, noted for his wealth and public spirit. 
Jeremiah was also a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas from 
I 702 to 11 15. ( )ne of his (Samuel's) brothers was William 1 hnn- 
mer. Acting" Governor of the colony for many years, and the 
other was Jeremiah, agent of the colonial government in England, 
and one of the most brilliant men of his day. Dr. Chauncy 
wrote of him as being "one of the three first sons of Xew Eng- 
land," and Bancroft said his writings contained "the seed of 
American Independence." Samuel was born in the Dummer 
mansion, which stood near the corner of State and Congress 
streets. In early life he appears to have lived in Jamaica. On 
his return he settled in Wilmington, where he cultivated with 
slave labor an extensive estate. He had a mania for purchasing 
farms and at one time had several hundred acres in that vicinity, 
which probably were not specially remunerative, as he became 
financially embarrassed and parted with most of them in 1731. 
In 1730 as "a Principal Inhabitant of Wilmington" he was 
ordered by the General Court to warn the inhabitants to meet in 
Town Meeting and elect Town Officers. He died Februarv <">. 
1738, aged forty-eight years, leaving a widow, Elisabeth, who 
was a daughter of the venerable Samuel Ruggles, minister of 
Billerica more than half a century. A few days after the death 
of her husband she gave birth to a posthumous daughter, who 
lived about three years. In the settlement of her husband's es- 
tate appears the following interesting item, "Paid Elisabeth 
Dummer" (the widow and mother) "for the lying in of a post- 
humous child Twenty Pounds!" This singnlar charge was al- 
lowed by the Judge. Samuel Dnmmer's appointment as Sheriff 
came from his brother, but he does not appear to have been at all 
active in the discharge of the duties of his office, and he was soon 
superseded. He lies buried in the ancient cemetery in Wil- 
mington. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 149 

Hon. Richard Foster, Jr., of Charlestown, 1731 to 1764(33 years). 

Born March 23, 1(393. His official career was longer than 
that of any sheriff who has ever held the position in Middlesex, 
covering a period of one-third of a century. His special prepara- 
tion for the duties of an office, in which he must have been ex- 
ceedingly competent, was unusual, and has never been dupli- 
cated, as he followed the sea in the early part of his life and was 
finally advanced to the command of a vessel, which certainly 
gave him little time to devote to the study of public affairs. 
From 1764 to 1TT1 he was Judge of the Inferior Court. He died 
August, 1774, aged eighty-two years. 

Col. David Phips, of Charlestown, 1764 to 1775 (10 years). 

Born September 25, 1724. Graduated from Harvard in 
1741. A Representative in 1753 and Colonel in the Militia. Be- 
ing a Royalist and adhering to the cause of the King, his estate 
was confiscated, and he fled to England, where he died July 7, 
1811, aged eighty-seven. 



Col. James Prescott, of Groton, 1775 to 1781 (6 years). 

Born there of a noted family of patriots, January 13, 1720-1. 
He was a member of the First, Second, and Third Provincial 




COLONEL LOAMMI BALDWIN, of Woburn. 
Sheriff 1781 to 1794. 




PORTRAIT AND ORGAN OF OLIVER HOLDEN, of Charlestown. 
Composer of " Coronation." (See page 36.) 
From the collection of the " Bostonian Society." 




• 



GENERAL WILLIAM HILDRETH, Jr., of Concord. 
Sheriff 1808 to 1813. (See page 151.) 

Krom .i Concord collection of historic portraits. Not vouched for. but supposed to he authentic— [L. S. G 



Wt'l ENT MIDDLESEX. 



LSI 



Congresses, and of the Hoard of War; of the Governor's Council 
in 1781, '82 and '83; of the General Court 17GG to 1775 and from 
1 7 7 7 to 1778. He was a Senator in 1780, and Judge of the ( !ourt 
of Common Pleas to his death, which occurred February !.">, 1800, 
at the age of eight)- years. He was of the steadfast yeomanry of 
Ancient Middlesex. 



Colonel Loammi Baldwin, of Woburn, 1781 to 1794 (13 years). 
A soldier of the Revolution, mentioned elsewhere. 

Major Joseph Hosmer, of Concord, 1794 to 1808 (14 years), 

Horn December 25, 1735. He was an officer of militia in 
1775, and acting Adjutant at the Concord fight, it being his duty 
to form the squads and companies into line as they arrived at the 
North Bridge. He was Captain of the Concord Light Infantry 
in 1780, and afterwards Major. He was Representative in 1780, 
'81, '83 and '84, Senator. 1785 to 1793, and member of the Con- 
stitutional Convention, 1788. He died January 31, 1821, aged 
eiehtv-five vears. 



General William Hildrethjr., of Concord, 1808 to 1813 (5 years). 





^c^Ssfc^ J A 




Horn in Dracut, November 16, 1757. A member of the So- 
ciety of the Cincinnati. A soldier and patriot of the Revolution- 
ary period, who marched as a minuteman at the Lexington alarm 




MAJOR JOSEPH HOSMER, of Concord. 

Sheriff 1794 to 1808. 

(See pag= 151.) 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. L53 

His father, William Hildreth, of Dracut, prominent in public 
affairs, was elected by the General Court, February 7, 1776, as 
First Major in Colonel Spalding's Seventh Middlesex Regiment, 
but with extreme modesty declined the honor, replying that he 
was "conscious of not being qualified for that important post." 
The subject of .this sketch served throughout the Revolution, first 
as a private in Captain Zaccheus Wright's Company, Colonel 
Brooks' Massachusetts Regiment, afterwards in Colonel Michael 
Jackson's Regiment of the Continental army, winning promotion 
to First Lieutenant, in which position he was returned as late as 
May 24, ITS."). He was Representative from 1795 to 1800, and 
Senator from 180] to 1807. His military title of General came 
from his connection with the Massachusetts militia. He died in 
Concord September 5, L813, aged fifty-six years. He was a 
lineal descendant of Richard Hildreth, 1605-1688, first of Woburn 
and afterwards of Chelmsford, who was admitted a freeman May 
10, 1643. In some way, perhaps in battle, he lost the use of his 
right hand, in recognition of which he was granted 150 acres of 
land in L664. He was the common ancestor of all of the name in 
Dracut and Lowell, constituting an able, patriotic, and influential 
family. 



General Nathaniel Austin, Jr., of Charlestown, 1 813 to 1831 (18 
years). 

Born there March 19, 1772. He was Representative in 
1812 and 1831, and again in 1838; a Senator from 1832 to 1835, 
and a member of the Governor's Council in 1836. He was Briga- 
dier-General, Third Division Massachusetts Militia, and a bridge 
Commissioner for many years. He executed "Alike Martin." 
the "gentleman" highwayman, hanged for robbing Major Bray 
on the Medford turnpike, lie was a very energetic, able, and 
useful citizen, lie died a bachelor April •'!. 1861, aged eighty- 
nine years. 





GENERAL NATHANIEL AUSTIN, Jr.. of Charlestown. 

Sheriff 1813 to 1831. 

(See page 153.) 




COLONEL SAMUEL CHANDLER, op Lhx IN oton 

Sheriff 1841 to 1851. 

(See page 157.) 




* k *$Ntte 



■•«■■&«, 




FISHER AMES HILDRETH, of Lowell. 
Sheriff 1851 to 1853. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 157 

Benjamin Franklin Varnttm, of Dracttt, 1831 to 1841 (10 years). 
See County Commissioners. 



Colonel Samuel Chandler, of Lexington, 1841 to 1851 (10 years). 




Born there October 36, 1795. He enlisted in the War of 
1812, going to the front as an ensign. After two severe engage- 
ments on the Canadian frontier he was promoted to the position 
of First Lieutenant. At the close of the war he was appointed 
Major of the Third Regiment Massachusetts Militia and Colonel 
from 1827 to 1834. He was Major-General from 1835 to 1839, 
Captain A. H. A. Company 1836, and Senator in 1839. He was 
Worshipful Master of Hiram Lodge, A. F. and A. M., of Lex- 
ington in 1827 and 1828. He died July 20, 1867, aged seventy- 
two vears. 



Fisher Ames Hildreth, of Lowell, 1851 to 1853 (2 years). 




Born in Dracut February 5, 1818. Appointed High Sheriff 
by Governor Boutwell. A member of the Legislature in 1843 
and '44, and Postmaster of Lowell during the administrations of 
Presidents Pierce and Buchanan. He was very prominent as a 
journalist and had the tact of money-making to a marked degree. 
as evidenced by the size of the estate he left to be administered 
upon. He died July 2, 1873, aged fifty-five years. 




HON. JOHN SHEPARD KEYES, of Concord. 

Sheriff 1853 to 185<>. 

(See page 161.) 




CHARLES KIMBALL, of Lowell. 

Sheriff 1859 to 1879. 

(See page 161.) 




"•.. 





EBEN WINSLOW FISKE. of Walthai 
Sheriff 1879 to 1883. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 161 

Hon. John Shepard Keyes, of Concord, 1853 to 1859 (6 years). 




Horn there September 19, L821. Son of Hon. John Keyes, 
a distinguished citizen of Concord. A graduate of Harvard in 
1841. He was a member of the Senate in 1849 and United 
States Marshal for the district of Massachusetts from 1861 to 
1866. In 1874 he was appointed Justice of the District Court of 
Central Middlesex, a position which he now occupies with grace, 
dignity, and ability, at the advanced age of four score years and 
three. 



Charles Kimball, of Lowell, 1859 to 1879 (20 years). 



(y^a^cJ <i J /£i^ns&'C 



Born in Littleton September 23, 1811. On November 30, 
1840, he was appointed writing master of the Boylston school on 
Fort Hill, Boston, serving in that capacity until promoted to the 
position of head master. He remained with this school nearly 
nineteen years, when he resigned to accept the office of Sheriff, to 
which he had been elected, serving in said office until the day of 
his death, a period of twenty years. He was Senior Grand War- 
den of the Grand Lodge, A. F. and A. M., in 1872. 



Eben Winslow Fiske, of Waltham, 1879 to 1883 (4 years). 



Q? O^O^L^ S?T 




Born in Framingham October 22, 1819. When twenty-one 
years of age he settled in Waltham and worked at his trade of 




HENRY GREENWOOD CUSHING, of Lowell. 
Sheriff 1383 to 1899. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. Ifi3 

harness maker for several years. He was constable from 1847 to 
1851 and Deputy Sheriff from 1851 to 1879, twenty-eight years, 
when he was appointed by the Governor as Sheriff to fill a va- 
cancy caused by the death of Sheriff Kimball. Subsequently 
elected by the people, he served in this office until his death. In 
the town of Waltham he was a coroner, member of the water 
board, chairman of the board of assessors, and moderator at 
town meetings for many years. He was also a justice of the 
peace and deputy collector of internal revenue. In politics, an 
active and consistent Republican, and altogether a useful citizen 
who formed strong ties of friendship and public confidence. He 
died August 27, 1883, aged sixty-four years. 



Henry Greenwood Cushing, of Lowell, J 883 to J 899 (16 years.) 



(ffiu^o£f£Y 



Born in Abington, October S, 1834. He was educated in the 
public schools of his native town and at Wilbraham Academy. 
He commenced his business career as a shoe manufacturer in 
Abington, from which town he went West, and settling in Chi- 
cago, was conducting an extensive dry goods establishment there 
at the time of the great fire. Returning East and settling in 
Lowell he was Deputy Sheriff from L875 to 1879; special Sheriff 
from 1879 to 1883, when he was appointed Sheriff to fill a va- 
cancy caused by the death of Sheriff Fiske. He was elected by 
the people and served to the day of his death. A veteran of the 
Civil war, having served as First Lieutenant of Eighth New Hamp- 
shire Volunteers. He was also assigned to duty on the staff of 
Major-General W. T. Sherman. A member of the Loyal Legion, 
G. A. R., and the Masonic fraternity. Died in Lowell. June 9, 
1899, aged sixty-five years. 




JOHN ROBERT FAIRBAIRN, of Cambridge. 
Sheriff 1899 to date. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 165 

John Robert Fairbairn, of Cambridge, 1899 to date. 

Horn in Boston January 2-6, 1851, of Scotch ancestry. His 
father, John Fairbairn, was born near Glasgow, and served 
eleven years in the Forty-Second Regiment Scottish Highlanders 
before emigrating to America. Shortly after the birth of the son, 
the family moved to Cambridge, where the subject of this sketch 
was educated in the public schools. At an early age he was ap- 
prenticed to the upholstery trade, at which he worked several 
years as a journeyman after completing his term of service. In 
L8v I he established himself in East Cambridge as an auctioneer 
and dealer in real estate, in which he was successful. He was ap- 
pointed 1 )eputy Sheriff in L884. In 1889 he was a member of the 
Common Council of the City of Cambridge, and in 1890, '91, '92, 
'93, '95, and "'.Hi, one of the Hoard of Aldermen, serving as Presi- 
dent in 1893/95, and '96. In June. 1896, he succeeded the late John 
M. Fiske as keeper of the jail, master of the house of correction, 
and Special Sheriff. June 22, 1899, after the death of Sheriff 
Cushing, he was appointed Sheriff to fill the vacancy, and subse- 
quently elected by the people to the present date. He is con- 
nected with the Masonic fraternity in Cambridge, being a mem- 
ber of the lodge, chapter, council, and commandery. 



166 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

CLERKS OF COURT OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, 

Deputy Gov. Thomas Danforth, of Cambridge, 1649 to J 686 (37 
years). 



/&ft 



^~T/WJm f)(v^rf£ !E<ico^rs 



He was the first Clerk or Recorder of ancient Middlesex of 
which we have any real, or rather official, knowledge, as he 
seems to have commenced his career in that capacity by record- 
ing the doings of a "County Cort held at Cambridge, October 
;!() [16-19]/' The first action tried in this court was "Increase 
Nowell vs. John Martine." As Middlesex County was incorpo- 
rated May 10, 1643, it must be admitted that an hiatus existed 
during the six years preceding this first entry which as yet re- 
mains unaccounted for. Mr. Danforth was born in Framlingham, 
Suffolk, England, in 1622, and came to Cambridge in 1634, where 
he became one of the wealthiest and most distinguished men of 
Middlesex. Connected with his mansion was an estate of 1*20 
acres in the very heart of the town, a portion of which is now oc- 
cupied by college buildings. He also owned about 16,000 acres, 
which included most of the area of the present towns of Framing- 
ham and Ashland, and portions of Sherborn, Cordaville, and 
Southville. He was the son of Rev. Nicholas Danforth, an emi- 
nent English Puritan. That he was a man of remarkable char- 
acter, wonderful energy, and superior abilities may be inferred 
from the broad range of his public services during a career of 
more than fifty years. He was Town Clerk of Cambridge from 
L645 to 1668, inclusive, twenty-four years; Selectman, twenty- 
seven years ; Deputy to the General Court, one year ; Assistant, 
nineteen years; Deputy Governor of the colony, twelve years; 
one of the Council, six years; Judge of the Superior Court of 
Judicature, seven years; Treasurer of Middlesex County, three 
years; Clerk of Courts, from 1649 to 1686, thirty-seven years; 
Register of Deeds, thirty-seven years ; Commissioner of the 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 167 

United Colonies, sixteen years; President of that hoard, three 
years; President of the District of Maine, eleven years; and 
Treasurer of Harvard College from 1650 to 1669, nineteen years. 
lie was a leader of the earliest party in America opposed to the 
encroachments of the crown, which made him a candidate for 
Governor against the noted Royalist, Simon Bradstreet, whom 
he almost succeeded in defeating, there being hut a handful of 
votes between them. December 27, 1659, the Court fixed his 
salary at !.(> 13s Id for the year! 

lie was also (with Major- General Daniel Gookin) a firm 
friend of the "Apostle" Eliot, and gave him all possible assistance 
in his labors among the praying Indians, especially while popular 
clamor against them was at its height in L675, for which he was 
posted and threatened with death by an infuriated and unreason- 
ing populace. He continued to hold the office of Clerk of 
"Corts." however, long years after these happenings. His death 
occurred November 5, L699, aged seventy-seven. He left no 
descendants in the male line. Such was the character of his pub- 
he services, and such was the high standard set up by the first 
( lerk of Courts of ancient Middlesex 256 years ago; history will 
bear witness to the fact that it has never been lowered by any of 
bis successors. 

Capt. Laurence Hammond, of Charlestown, 1686 to 1689 (3 
years). 





&6Wa**&z&?&.<~i$z. 



Town Clerk, 1672 and '73; Selectman, Representative, 
L672- J 77, Captain train-band and Lieutenant A. H. A. Company. 
He was a supporter of Andros, and on account of his loyalty was 
deprived of his command in the train-band, after the Governor 
was deposed. He was Register of Deeds and of Probate. At 
the expiration of more than two centuries his handwriting still 
remains clear, distinct, and beautiful, in wonderful contrast with 
the abominable chirography of early days. Died in Boston July 
25, 1699. 



168 



AXCIEXT MIDDLESEX. 



Capt, Samuel Phipps, of Charlestown, J 689 to \ 723 (34 years). 

ojijb 9^ ^S^ 

Born about 1651. Graduated from Harvard in 1671. Con- 
stable, against his will. 1686. Town Treasurer. 1687-88. Town 
Clerk, 1688. Constable again. 1689-92. Captain of Militia. 
1701, 1712, and an Assessor of Charlestown many years, besides 
being in 1700 Commissioner of Claims fur the province of Maine. 
He was a school teacher in Charlestown from L674-1684. He 
was Selectman 1687, 1697, 1701 to 1704, 1706, 1707, 1709, 1711 to 
1711 and 1716. Representative, 1692, 1695, 1697, 1699 to 1705. 
1707 to 1711. and 1712. He was Register of Probate. 1692 to 1702. 
Register of Deeds April 10, 1693, to April II. 1721, and Clerk of 
Courts from October 1, 1689, to July !», 1723. He was succeeded 
in the office of Clerk by his son. Samuel Phipps, Jr.. who was 
sworn in October 8, 1723. His active and honorable career 
closed August 7, 1725, aged about seventy-four years. 

Samuel Phipps, Jr., of Charlestown, 1723 to 1735 (12 years). 



Jh~ ffltty* £faS 



Born February 10. 1684. Son of Samuel hirst. Not much 
is known of him, save that he succeeded bis father as Clerk, being 
sworn in October 8. 1723. He served until March !>, 1735, when 
Thaddeus Mason came in and commenced bis extended official 
career. 

Thaddeus Mason, of Cambridge, \ 1Z5 to \ 790 (55 years). 



f /?ar.m7aj<m 



sy 



Born in Charlestown December 27, 1706. Graduated from 
Harvard in 1728, and commenced his career by teaching school 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



169 



in Woodstock, Conn. He was a descendant in the second gen- 
eration from Captain Hugh Mason, the emigrant, who settled in 
Watertown in L63 L-5. 1 le was a sufferer by the bombardment of 
Charlestown, his house being burned by the British in the general 
conflagration. After that event he lived at various times in 
Stoneham, Lexington, Medford, and Cambridge. He was pri- 
vate secretary to Governor Belcher, Deputy Naval Officer in 
1731, Deputy Secretary Province, L734, Register of Deeds, 1.781 
to 1784. Clerk of Courts fifty-five years, remaining in office until 
eighty-four years of age. lie was an energetic, faithful, and effi- 
cient officer, who outlived every contemporary, surviving almost 
to the century mark. He died May 1, L802, aged ninety-six 
years. 



Abraham Bigelow, of Cambridge, 1790 to J83J (4J years). 




q^ 



Born in Weston September is, 1762. Graduated from Har- 
vard in 1782. Member Constitutional Convention, 1788, Presi- 
dential Elector, 1812. He practiced successfully as a lawyer. 
Through his father, Abraham, a Representative, Selectman, etc.. 
of Weston, born in Marlboro March 5, 1713, he was a descendant 
in the fifth generation from John Biglo, a blacksmith of Water- 
town, and Mary Warren, whose marriage in 1642 was the first 
one recorded in that town. It is claimed that Mary came ovei 
with her father, John Warren, in the Governor Winthrop party, 
and it is also established to the satisfaction of many investigators 
that this humble Puritan maiden was descended from William 
the Conqueror. As Clerk of Courts, his term of service was only 
second to that of his predecessor, commencing in L790, and ex- 
tending to 1831, a period of forty-one years. His descendant- 
are able and distinguished to the present generation, lie died 
in New York city July <i. 1832, aged seventy. 




ABRAHAM BIGELOW, of Weston and Cambridge. 

Clerk of Courts 1790 to 1831 —41 years. 

From a silhouette in the possession of Albert S. Bigelow, of Boston. 




ELIAS PHINNEY, of Lex.ngton. 

Clerk of Courts 1831 to 1849 
From a Pa ,„, ins ,„ lhe possess , „ of GMrge B phinMj ^ pM ^ 

(See page 172). 



172 



AXCI ENT M I DDLESEX. 



Elias Phinncy, of Lexington, 1831 to 1849 (18 years). 



%^/fU*xA&<4' 



Bom in Nova Scotia, L780. Graduated from Harvard in 
1.801. lie was a practicing- lawyer in Charlestown, who was fond 
of country life and studied practical farming'. He became a 
Trustee of the State Agricultural Society, and was considered an 
authority on all matters relating" to tillage and general husbandry. 
In L823 he settled upon a large farm in Lexington, which, under 
his skilful management, attained a high state of cultivation, and 
became distinguished as a prominent example of the farmer's art. 
It was his custom to ride from his home in Lexington to the 
(Hurt House in the old-fashioned "one-horse shay" of our an- 
cestors, lie was a man of hue personal appearance and a gentle- 
man of the old school. He died July 24, L869, aged sixty-nine 
years. 



Hon. Seth Ames, of Lowell, July 30, 1849, to June 23, 1859 (10 
years). 






Born in Dedham April \'K 1805. Graduated from Harvard 
in IS25, Representative. 1832, Senator, 1841, Justice of the Su- 
perior Court, L859 to 1869, serving as Chief Justice thereof after 
1807. Judge of the Supreme Judicial Court from January 19, 1869, 
to [anuary 15, 1881. He was greatly distinguished as a lawyer 
and jurist. Died in Brookline August 15, 1881, aged seventy- 
six years. 




HON. SETH AMES, of Lowell. 
Clerk of Courts 1849 to 1859. 




JOHN QU1NCY ADAMS GRIFFIN, of Medford. 
Clerk of Courts 1859. 



\\( HINT MIDDLESEX. 



175 



John Quincy Adams Griffin, of Charlestown, Maiden and Med- 
ford, June 23, 1859, to September 1, J 859 (2 months). 




Born in Londonderry, N. H., July 8, 1826. After living a 
time in Pelham, where he attended the district schools, he went to 
Groton, Mass., in 1844 at the age of eighteen, where he prepared 
for college at the Groton academy. In 1846 he entered Amherst 
College, but did not graduate, having quitted its classic shades, 
when, as he termed it, "they could learn him nothing more." He 
was admitted to the Middlesex bar in 1849, and we next find him, 
in 1850, editing a "Free Soil" paper in Lawrence, although living 
in Charlestown, being an ardent advocate of the principles enun- 
ciated by that party. He was City Solicitor of Charlestown, and 
an earnest opponent of annexation. Representative in 1855, being 
"Free Soil" candidate for Speaker, receiving twenty-nine votes, 
the entire party strength. Moving to Maiden he represented that 
town in 1859 and 1860. it was mainly through his efforts that 
tolls were abolished between that section of Middlesex comm- 
and Boston, conferring a great blessing upon the community. 
Subsequently he moved to Medford, where he died of pulmonary 
consumption. May 22, 1866, aged forty years, at the very thresh- 
old of a promising" career. He served but two months in the 
office of Clerk of Courts, when he resigned, as methodical office 
work was not to his liking, and being nervous and excitable to the 
extreme, he fretted "like a hound in the leash," to be back to the 
active and strenuous life of his chosen profession, saying to a friend 
that "had he staved another month he would have gone crazy!" 
He seemed to absorb knowledge without apparent effort, and be- 
came a worthy antagonist of men of the stamp of Benjamin F. 
[hitler, against whom he was often pitted in court, and upon the 
forum. In debate he had the fire and courage of John Randolph, 
in cutting sarcasm the tongue of Wendell Phillips, while his 
oratorical powers were not only impetuous, but seductive and 
captivating. 




GENERAL JAMES DANA, of Charlestown. 
Clerk of Courts 1859. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



General James Dana, of Charlestown, September 1, 1859, to De- 
cember 1, 1859 (3 months). 



ja^rv^t' oC/cl 



Born there November 8, 1811. Graduated from Harvard in 
1830. Son of Hon. Samuel Dana of Groton, a distinguished 
statesman, lawyer and jurist, and the first County Attorney of 
Middlesex County. General Dana was Mayor of Charlestown. 
L858, 1859, 1860. To him was due the introduction of water into 
that city. Captain Charlestown Light Infantry. Colonel Fourth 
Regiment, First Brigade Second Division, and Brigadier-Genera! 
Third Brigade Massachusetts Militia. A lawyer in his native 
city for many years, associated with Moses G. Cobb, who raise! 
"Cobb's," subsequently "Xims" " battery, which performed 
valiant service in the Civil war. He moved from Charlestown 
in 1ST-"), to Dorchester, where he died June 4, 1890, aged seventy- 
eight years. 

Benjamin Franklin Ham, of Naticfc, December 1, 1859, to Janu- 
ary, 1872 (13 years). 



/J.&SYC^'L 



Born in Farmington, X. H.. July 2, 1823. Fie attended 
the district school, but at the early age of thirteen was thrown 
upon his own resources and left home to make his way in the 
world. He went to Xatick and worked at the shoemaker's 
bench, and while there formed the friendship of Henry Wilson, 
a fellow mechanic, who in later years was to record his name high 
in the annals of fame. This intimacy was terminated only upon 
the death of the vice-president. Gradually improving his mind 
by study, he became a schoolmaster and taught in and about 
Xatick, and was finally admitted to the bar in 1853. His legal 
work was so careful and judicial that he was frequently appointed 
to determine facts for the court as auditor, and his findings were 
generally acceptable. Fie was Representative in 1859. Towards 
the end of his life he became very deaf, and was not often seen 
in public. He died in Medford May 4, 1893, aged seventy years. 




iENJAMIN FRANKLIN HAM, of Natxk. 
Clerk of Courts 1859 to 1872. 
(See page 177.) 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. L79 

Samuel Hilliard Folsom, of Winchester, October 17, 1871 (late 
Register of Probate). 

Was Clerk pro-tem for a brief period. 

Lieut. Theodore Clarence Hurd, of Winchester, January 3, 1872 
to date (33 years). 




Horn in Newton January L9, 1837, of patriotic stock. His 
paternal grandfather, William Hurd, served three years in the 
Army of the Revolution, and Zibeon Hooker, his maternal 
grandsire, was one of the charter members of the Society of the 
Cincinnati, he having served as a drummer boy at Bunker Hill, 
and afterwards, by promotion, as Major on the staff of General 
Washington. Emulating the patriotism of his ancestors, Theo- 
dore C. Hurd enlisted in Company F, Forty-fifth Massachusetts 
Volunteers, during the Civil War. where he attained the rank of 
second lieutenant, receiving an honorable discharge at the com- 
pletion of his term of service. In early life his parents removed 
to Framingham, where the boy passed through the public schools 
and the academy there, subsequently graduating from Union 
College, Schenectady, N. V., in 1856. He studied law at the 
Harvard Haw School, and with Hon. C. C. Esty, of Framingham, 
and was admitted to the "Middlesex bar in 1860. He was a Se- 
lectman of Framingham, 1.865 to 1.870; Representative, 1867- 
L869-'70 and '71 ; and Assistant District Attorney from 1865 to 
1872. He has been Clerk of Courts since January 3, 1872, a 
period of thirty-three years. In length of service he stands fifth 
upon the list, but in the order of succession he bears the fatal 
numeral of superstition — 13. Notwithstanding this cabalistic 
omen, let us cherish the hope that, for the benefit of those who 
may follow us, he may remain at his post long after we, who love 
him so well and whom he honors so much, shall have crossed the 
fabled river and await his coming to the silent shore. 




THEODORE CLARENCE HURD. of Winch 
Clerk of Courts 1872 to date. 
(See page 179.) 




MARSHALL PRESTON, of Lexington. 

Assistant Clerk of Courts May 5, 1851. to March 5, 1863. 

(See page 182.) 



182 



AW I EXT MIDDLESEX. 



ASSISTANT CLERKS OF COURT. 

Marshall Preston, of Lexington, May 5, 1851, to March 5, 1863 



(12 years). 



sUfaul-oMw 



Horn in Bedford June 5, 1792. Son of Dr. Amariah Pres- 
ton of Bedford, who served three years in the War of the Revo- 
lution, afterwards practicing medicine with great success, and 
died in Lexington, aged 96, having been in active practice until 
almost four score years and ten. Marshall Preston was at Brown 
University for a time, studied law with his uncle, Warren Preston 
(Brown University, 1804), in Maine, and was admitted to the bar 
in Augusta. Lawyer at Billerica from about 1820-1849; Town 
Clerk at Billerica, 1821-1848; Postmaster at Billerica, L82G- 
1849; Selectman, Billerica, 1821-1848; House of Representa- 
tives from Billerica, 1829-1830. A member of the hirst Parish 
Church (Unitarian) at Billerica; also the Old First Parish 
Church (Unitarian) at Lexington, when he lived there, 1849- 
1874; also a member of the Masonic Fraternity, lie moved 
from Billerica to Lexington in 1849, where he died November 2, 
181 I, asfed eightv-two vears. 



John James Sawyer, of Somerville, March 5, J 863, to September 
6, 1882 (19 years). 




Born in Cambridge July 29, 1814. Descended from Elihu 
Sawyer, who was a Lieutenant in the Revolution, and was with 
Washington at Valley Forge. John James became infatuated 
with the ocean in early life. and. in company with the late veteran 
Clerk of Courts of Suffolk Joseph A. Willard, ran away to sea. 
He served in the United States Navy throughout the Mexican 




JOHN JAMES SAWYER, of Somerville. 

Assistant Clerk of Courts 1863 to 1882. 

(See page 182.) 



1S1 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



war. He was a genial, whole-souled sailor. His liberality of dis- 
position and infinite humor gave him great popularity with both 
the bench and the bar, many of whom delight to recall his quaint 
sayings and ready wit. In his last sickness he was a great 
sufferer. He died in Somerville September 8, 1882, aged sixty- 
eight years. 

John Lee Ambrose, of Somerville (First Assistant Clerk of Courts), 
October 2, \ 882, to date (22 years). 




^5. 



Born in Center Sandwich, X. H.. August 10, 1844. He at- 
tended the district and high schools of the town, and on January 
IS, 1869, entered the office of the Clerk of Courts for Middlesex 
Count}. Benjamin F. Ham being then the Clerk. Mr. Ambrose 
was appointed Second Assistant Clerk of the Courts by Theodore 
C. Ilnrd, Esquire, the present Clerk, December 17, 1874, under 
die provisions of Chapter 181 of the Acts of 18T3. On October 
2, 1882, the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court appointed Mr. 
Ambrose hirst Assistant Clerk, which position he now holds. 
His official record to date since first appointment in 1874 covers a 
period of thirty years. 

William Clinton Dillingham, of Maiden, Second Assistant Clerk 
of Courts, 1882 to date (22 years). 

Horn in Charlestown, Mass.. March .">, 1848. He is de- 
scended from the Vermont branch of the Dillingham family of 
Colonial times. His parents having moved to Maiden, he passed 
through the public schools of that town, and attended a prepara- 
tory school in Boston, afterwards studying law for three vears in 
the office of William C. Greene, hi 1875 he was appointed a 
Deputy Sheriff of Middlesex County, and in 1882 became an As- 




JOHN LEE AMBROSE, op Somervlle 
First Assistant Clerk of Courts 1882 to date. 




WILLIAM CLINTON DILLINGHAM, of Malden. 
Sscond Assistant Clerk of Courts 1882 to date. 
(See page 184.) 




RALPH NATHAN SMITH, of Arlington. 

Third Assistant Clerk of Courts 1896 to date. 

(See page 188.) 



JSS 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



sistant under Theodore C. Hurd. Later on he was appointed 
Second Assistant Clerk of Courts, a position which he now oc- 
cupies. 

Ralph Nathan Smith, of Arlington, Third Assistant Clerk of 
Courts, 1896 to date. 



' ^-~^^feZ'i€^<-^^-^ 




y 

Bora December 1, 1871, at Worcester. Mass. Attended 
public school in Worcester until 1883. Afterwards lived in Tem- 
pleton, Mass.. and graduated from Templeton High school in 
class of 1888. Attended Becker's private school in Worcester 
for one year. 

Assistant bookkeeper and school teacher at Cambridge 
House of Correction from 1890 to 1893. Appointed Clerk in 
office of Clerk of Courts. December 1, IS!).'!. Commissioned 
Third Assistant Clerk of Courts of Middlesex County by Su- 
preme Judicial Court, April 25, 1896, and has held said position 
to present date. 



Roger Howard Hurd, of Winchester, Fourth Assistant Clerk of 
Courts. 




Horn at Cambridge, Mass.. April 13, 1881, moving to Win- 
chester, Mass., in 1888. He attended the Winchester public 
schools, leaving the high school in 1898 and entering the Boston 
Art School in the fall of that year. Since the summer of 1899. 
he has been employed in the office of Clerk of Courts, being ap- 
pointed Fourth Assistant Clerk on March 27, 1903. 




ROGER HOWARD HURD. of Winchester. 
.Fourth Assistant Clerk of Corrts March 27, 1903, to date. 




HON. JOHN WINTHROP, of Cambridge. 

Professor of Mathematics, Harvard University. 1738 to 1779. 

Judge of Probate 1775 to 1779. 

(See page 195.) 



ANCIEXT MIDDLESEX. 19] 

JUDGES OF PROBATE (AND OF INSOLVENCY 

SINCE J 858). 

Hon. James Russell, of Charlestown, 1692 to 1702 (10 years). 
See Treasurers. 

Hon. John Leverett, of Cambridge, 1702 to 1708 (6 years). 

Born in Boston August 25, 1662. Graduated from Harvard 
in 1680. Selectman. 1 <;!>'.» and 1700; Councillor, 1706; Vice 
Judge Admiralty court; Representative, 1696, 1699, and 1700, 
and Speaker of the House the latter year. Justice Superior Court 
1702 to 1T<>?, President of Harvard College from Octoher 'is, 
1707, to May -'!. 1724, when he was found dead in bed. A man 
of ability, hut a martinet in discipline and disposition, who en- 
deavored to rule every community and institution with which he 
came in contact. His grandfather was John Leverett. who 
was Governor, 1672 to Hi?'.). The family mansion of the Lev- 
eret ts was on the corner of Court and Washington streets, oppo- 
site the old State House, Boston. He died in Cambridge, May 
.'!. 1724, aged sixty-two vears. 

Hon. Francis Foxcroft, the first, of Boston and Cambridge, 1708 
to 1725(17 years). 







Lorn in England November 13, 1657. Son of Daniel Fox- 
croft, Mayor of Leeds, England, in 1666. Colonel in the militia 
and a member of the A. H. A. Company. He was a justice under 
Andros, and imprisoned for his loyalty in L689. Representative 
from Dunstable in 1693. Judge Court of Common Pleas, 1701 



192 ANCTENT MIDDLESEX. 

to 1719, and Judge Probate, 1708 to 1725. An exceedingly able, 
influential, and wealthy man. His wife, Elisabeth, was a daugh- 
ter of Governor Danforth. Francis Foxcroft, the second, Daniel, 
and Rev. Thomas Foxcroft, all of whom were officers of Middle- 
sex County at various times, were his sons, and he was the grand- 
father of John, Register of Deeds many years. Through father 
and sons this family have an official record in this county aggre- 
gating eighty-four years, and grandson ten years, showing a ser- 
vice of ninety-four years prior to the Revolution in various 
offices. Should we add the public services of Francis first, pre- 
vious to 1708, the aggregate would exceed the century mark. 
He died in Cambridge December 31, 17^7, aged seventy years. 

Hon. Jonathan Remington, of Cambridge, J 725 to 1745 (20 
years). 

t m 



/ 



Born, 1677. Graduated from Harvard in 1696. Selectman 
Cambridge, 1712 and 1715 to 17 1!*. Representative twelve 
years between 1714 and 1728. Councillor, 1730 to 1740. Judge 
Court Common Pleas 1729 to 1745. Hied September 30, 1745, 
aged sixty-eight years. 

Hon. Samuel Danforth, of Cambridge, J 745 to 1775 (30 years). 



QJLdfy»tf& 



s^ 



Born in Dorchester November 12, 1696. Graduated from 
Harvard in 17 b'). Selectman Cambridge, 1733 to 1739. Repre- 
sentative 173-1 to 1738. Councillor thirty-six years, 1739 to 1774. 
Justice Peace, Register Probate, 1731-1745. Judge Court Com- 



MS 




** •■■ ■'•■ 



HON. SAMUEL PHILLIPS PRESCOTT FAY, of Cambridge. 

Judge of Probate 1821 to 1856. 

(See page 196.) 




HON. WILLIAM ADAMS RICHARDSON, of Lowell. 
Judge of Probate 1856 to 1872. 
(See page 199.) 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



195 



mon Pleas, 1741 to 1745. Being a Royalist he ceased to hold 
office after the outbreak of the Revolution. Died in Boston Oc- 
tober 27, 1777, aged eighty-one years. 



Professor John Winthrop, of Cambridge, J 775 to J 779 (4 years). 




Born December 19, 1714. Graduated from Harvard in 1732. 
A descendant in the fourth generation from Governor John Win- 
throp. Representative, 17T4, Councillor, ITT:!, '75, and '76. He 
was the foremost mathematician and philosopher of his genera- 
tion in America ; a Fellow of the Royal Society, and Hollis pro- 
fessor of mathematics and natural philosophy in Harvard from 
1738 until his death. He died in 1779, aged sixty-five years. 

Hon. Oliver Prescott, M. D., of Groton, J 779 to 1805 (26 years.) 



0Utrt<3>-ffii 




71? 



Born April 27, 1731, son of Benjamin Prescott, a blacksmith, 
who came to Groton in 1680, having had land granted him. 
Graduated from Harvard in 1750 with highest honors. He was 
a public-spirited citizen, and patriot to the very core. Town 
Clerk thirteen years, and Selectman thirty-two years. He 
was Major, Lieutenant-Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier and Major- 
General of Militia, before and after the Revolution. President 
of the Massachusetts Medical Society, President of Board of 
Trustees, Groton Academy, and a fellow of the American So- 
ciety of Arts and Sciences. During many years he was the most 
prominent physician in Northern Middlesex. He died in office 
November 17, 1804, aged seventy-three years. 



196 A.NCTENT MIDDLESEX. 

Hon. James Prescott, of Groton, 1805 to 1821 ( lb years] 



ya4iie$$-tt'Ctr#^ 



Corn April 19, 1766. Son of Colonel James Prescott. 
Graduated from Harvard in 1788. He was a fine scholar, but 
possessed of an irascible and unfortunate temper, which involved 
him in many difficulties which should have been avoided. He 
was Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas six years from 
June ■"), 1805. After serving sixteen years as Judge of Probate. 
lie was impeached by the House in 1821, tried by the Senate, and 
removed from office on charges which involved no questions of 
integrity or moral turpitude. This trial was one of the most 
famous in the annals of the General Court. Webster and other 
great lawyers participated in it. He died ( )ctober 11, 1829, aged 
sixty-three years. 



Hon. Samuel Phillips Prescott Fay, of Cambridge, JS2 J to 1856 

(35 years). 




Born in Concord May 10, 1778. Graduated from Harvard 
in 17!'S. Appointed a captain in the American army, organized 
to resist a threatened invasion of the French in 1798. Represen- 
tative. 1808-9-10-11-12-15-16-1? and 1820. Member of the 
Governor's Council, 1818-19, and of the Constitutional Conven- 
tion of 1820. He was Grand Master of Masons in 1820. Over- 
seer Harvard College, 1825 to 1852. Died in Cambridge May 
18, 1856, aged seventv-eight years. 




HON. GEORGE M. BROOKS, of Concord. 

Judge of Probate 1872 to 1893. 
From a painting by Bicknell. (See page 199.) 








HON. CHARLES JOHN McINTIRE, of Cambridge. 
First Judge of Probate and Insolvency 1893 to date. 



A.NCIENT MIDDLESEX. I!)!) 

Hon. William Adams Richardson, of Lowell, 1856 to 1872 (16 
years). 




tcA&i&f^ 



Born in Tyngsboro November 2, 1821. Graduated from 
Harvard in 1843. President Wamesit Bank, Lowell. Member 
Common Council, 1849, '53 and '54, President in the latter years. 
Member of all the Masonic bodies meeting in Lowell. Secretary 
United States Treasury, 1873. Chief Justice Court of Claims 
United States from January 21, 1885. Died in Washington, D. 
C, October 19, 189G, aged seventy-five years. 

Hon. George Merrick Brooks, of Concord, 1872 to 1893(21 years) 



-JtfrL^ Tn.&hirfitc? 



Horn in Concord of Revolutionary stock, July 26, 1824. 
Graduated from Harvard in 1841. Representative, 1858; Sena- 
tor, 1859 ; Representative in Congress, 1869 to 1871. A lawyer 
by profession. Died in Concord September 22, 1893, aged sixty- 
nine years. He was greatly lamented by all classes, especially 
by the poor and unfortunate, who respected him for his kindness 
of heart and sympathetic counsel and demeanor. 

Hon. Charles John Mclntire, of Cambridge, 1893 to date (11 
years). 




'.^C-rfoLcO}* tfYit&UZ&gg, 






Born in Cambridge March 26, 1842, and educated in the 
public schools. Member of the Common Council, 1866-7 ; 



200 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



Board of Aldermen, 1877; City Solicitor, 1886; Representative, 
1869-'70; Assistant District Attorney three years, 1872 to 1875. 
A veteran of the Civil war, having served in the Forty-fourth 
Massachusetts Volunteers. Is a member of the G. A. R., and of 
the Massachusetts Society of Colonial Wars, by virtue of descent 
from Ebenezer Mackintire of Charlton, a soldier of colonial 
times, who was a grandson of Philip Mackintire, a Scotchman 
from the Highlands of Argyll, who settled in Reading, Mass., in 
1666. He is also a descendant of Ensign James Kidder, of the 
Billerica Company in King Philip's war, and of Nathaniel Spar- 
hawk, of Cambridge, a Representative in the General Court from 
1642 to ICC. The great-grandfather of Judge Mclntire was 
Ezra Mackintire, who marched with the Charlton company of 
minutemen in the days of the Revolution. Judge Mclntire is 
sitting as one of the two Judges of Probate and Insolvency, and 
bears the title of "First Judge." 



Hon. George Field Lawton, of Lowell and Cambridge, 1894 to 
date (10 years). 




.E?< 




n 



Born in Powell. Mass., October IT, 1845. Attended the 
public schools of his native city and graduated from Williams in 
1868. A successful schoolmaster in Powell for five years, and 
superintendent of schools from 1886 to 1891, when he resigned 
to give his attention to the practice of the law. Admitted to the 
bar in 1877. City Solicitor of Powell, 1880-1881-1882-1885, and 
1886; resigned to accept the position of Superintendent of 
Schools. Judge Lawton is a veteran of the Civil war, having en- 
listed when eighteen years of age, in Company (1, Sixth Massa- 
chusetts Infantry, serving the full period of his enlistment. He- 
is also a Worshipful Past Master of Kilwinning Podge in the 
Masonic Fraternity of Powell. He is sitting as one of the two 
Judges of Probate and Insolvency. 




HON. GEORGE FIELD LAWTON, of Lowell and Cambridge. 
Judge of Probate and Insolvency 1894 to date. 




HON. JAMES WINTHROP, of Cambridge. 

Register of Probate 1775 to 1817. 

(See page 207.) 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 203 

REGISTERS OF PROBATE (AND OF INSOL- 
VENCY SINCE 1858). 

Samuel Phipps, of Charlestown, 1692 to 1702 (10 years). 

/% 

Born 1651. A son of Solomon of the same town. Grad- 
uated from Harvard in 1671. He was a school teacher there 
several years. Register of Deeds twenty-eight years, also Clerk 
of Courts thirty-four years. Died August 7, 1725, aged seventy- 
four years. See also Clerks of Courts. 

Dr. Thomas Swan, of Charlestown, 1702 to 1705 (3 years). 





Born in Roxbury September 15, 1669. Graduated from 
Harvard in 1689. School teacher in Hadley, 1689-90, and in 
Charlestown 1700 to 1702. On November 2, 1702, he was sworn 
in as Register of Probate, but probably served only a short time, 
as the writing of his successor appears in 1703. Wyman, usually 
correct, says he moved to Milton, but no record can be found to 
prove it ; on the contrary a petition of his widow addressed to the 
General Court sets forth, or makes it apparent, that he died at the 
Castle in Boston harbor October 19, 1710, aged forty-one, where 
he had been "more than seven years," as physician and surgeon 
at that post. "In consideration of his extraordinary Charge and 
Pains in the service," the General Court voted to his widow the 
sum of £20. 



204 A.NCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

Nicholas Fessenden, 2d, of Cambridge, 1705 to 1709 (4 years). 



Born January 12, 1680. Graduated from Harvard in 1701. 
Master of the Grammar school in Cambridge for many years. 
He was son of Nicholas first, who came to America about 1674, 
and was heir of his uncle John, first of the name here. It is 
claimed that Nicholas first was ancestor of Hon. William Pitt 
Fessenden, of Maine, a statesman and orator of national reputa- 
tion. Nicholas second died October 4, 1719, aged thirty-nine 
years. 

Daniel Foxcroft, of Cambridge, 1709 to 1715 (6 years). 



65 at Toxor^/tA^, 



i°? 



Son of Francis first. He was a sub-commissary in the expe- 
dition against Canada in 1711. Moved to England in 1723, 
where he possessed a substantial fortune. Died at Plaistow, 
Eng., May 7, 1738. 

Rev. Thomas Foxcroft, of Cambridge, 1715 to 1719 (4 years). 



y/L<rfox*rtfr/faf 



Born February 26, 1697. Son of Francis first. Graduated 

from Harvard in 1714. Ordained as second minister of the First 
Church, Boston, November 20, 1717. He was one of the ablest 
preachers of his generation, and remained settled over this parish 
during fifty-two years. He died June 16, 1769, aged seventy- 
three vears. 





ISAAC FISKE. of Weston and Cambridc 
of probate 1817 to 1851. 



Register 



(See page 203.) 




ALONZO VALENTINE LYNDE, of Stoneham and Melrose. 

Register of Probate 1851 to 1853. 

(See page 208.) 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 207 

Francis Foxcroft, 2d, of Cambridge, 1719 to 1731 (12 years). 

Son of Francis first. See Registers of Deeds. 

Samuel Danforth, of Cambridge, 1731 to 1745 (14 years). 

See Judges of Probate. 

Hon. Andrew Bordman, of Cambridge, 1745 to 1769 (24 years) 

Born there August 1, 1701. Graduated from Harvard in 
171!'. Town Clerk thirty-eight years, from 1731; Town Treas- 
urer twenty-three years, from and including 1747 ; Representa- 
tive. 1742 to '51 and 1757 to '68, inclusive, making twenty-two 
years' service in the General Court : Judge Court Common pleas 
seventeen years, from 1752 to 17<»!'. Died May 19, 17<i!), aged 
sixty-eight years. His son, Andrew, was special Register on 
death of father to next appointment. 

William Kneeland, of Cambridge, 1769 to 1775 (6 years). 




Born in Boston May 28, 1732. Graduated from Harvard 
in 1751. He was the first overseer of the poor in Cambridge, 
1786. He was President of the Massachusetts Historical Society. 
He was a Royalist, and went out of office at the opening of the 
Revolution. Died November 2, 1788, aged fifty-six years. 

Hon. James Winthrop, of Cambridge, 1775 to 1817 (42 years). 



y^/eg^r^^ 



/x/Zafc*^ fas'. 



Born March 28, 1752. Son of Professor John of Harvard, 
and a descendant in the fifth generation from Governor John 



508 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

Winthrop. Graduated from Harvard in 1767. Postmaster Cam- 
bridge, 1 T T 5 . Librarian Harvard College, 1772 to 1787. Judge 
Court Common Pleas thirty years (1791 to 1821). One of the 
founders of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Died Septem- 
ber 26, 1821, aged sixty-nine years. 

James Foster, of Cambridge, May, 1817, to October, 1817. 

Porn April 'i:!, 1786. Graduated from Harvard 1806. Was 
Register of Probate but five months. Died in office August 27, 
1817, aged thirty-one years. 

Isaac Fiske, of Weston and Cambridge, 1817 to 1851 (34 years). 

^L* ^x, Af^- 

Born in Weston December 4, 1778. Graduated from Har- 
vard in 1798. He was a successful lawyer in Weston and Cam- 
bridge, before assuming the position of Register, an office which 
he adorned a longer period than any predecessor save Hon. 
James Winthrop. He was a member of the Constitutional Con- 
vention of 1820, and Town Clerk of Weston many years. He 
lived in a stone mansion which stood on the site of the new reg- 
istry building. He was a courteous gentleman of the old school. 
Died March 11, 1861, aged eighty-three years. 

Alonzo Valentine Lynde, of Stoneham and Melrose, 1851 to 
1853 (2 years). 



cAA>^vv^v^x^ 



Porn in Stoneham of parents in humble circumstances De- 
cember 27, 1823. lie passed through the public schools of that 
town, and so applied himself to study, while teaching as a liveli- 
hood, as to be admitted to the Middlesex bar at an earlv age. At 




ALFRED ABBOTT PRESCOTT. op R eading 

Register of Probate 1853 to 1859. 

(See page 211.) 







JOSEPH HOW TYLER, of Winchester. 
Register of Probate 1859 to 1892. 



WCIKNT MIDDLESEX. 



211 



the time of his death he was perhaps the senior practicing mem- 
ber thereof. He was a man of wonderful energy, keen and in- 
cisive in legal practice, but cautious and conservative in public 
and private affairs. By industry and application he amassed a 
large estate. He died in Melrose January 23, 1899, aged seventy- 
six years. 



Alfred Abbott Prescott, of Reading, J 853 to 1859 (6 years). 



^^^cc^t 



Born there February IT. 1820. He was the son of Joshua 
Prescott, a graduate of Harvard, and a prominent lawyer in his 
daw Alfred was a member of the class of 1<S4.">, Harvard, but 
did not graduate. He became a member of the bar and suc- 
ceeded to the practice of his father. He moved to California in 
IS?.), where he married. After the death of his wife, sickness 
and misfortune overtook him. Broken in health, and without 
means he died in dee]) poverty at the county hospital of San 
Joaquin County, located at French Camp, California, Januarv 1!', 
1897, aged seventy-seven years. He was buried in the hospital 
cemetery, but his remains were afterwards removed to San Fran- 
cisco, lie was one of the charter members of Putnam Lodge, 
A. F. and A. M., of Cambridge. 

Joseph How Tyler, of Cambridge and Winchester, J859 to 1892 
(33 years). 




Born in Pelham, N. H., February 11, 1825. Was fitted for 
college at Phillips Academy, Andover, and graduated at Dart- 
mouth, 1851. Admitted to the bar in 1853. Appointed Master 
in Chancery, 1855. Settled in Cambridge, wdiere he was a mem- 
ber of the Common Council in 1862 and '63. One of the Alder- 
men in 1864-65, and of the school board in 1868, '69 and '70. 



212 



WCIEXT MIDDLESEX. 



1 'resident of the Cambridge Railroad company, director Cam- 
bridge National Bank, and trustee of the East Cambridge Five 
Cents Savings Bank. He moved to Winchester in 1870, where 
he became active in town affairs. Was on the school board three 
years, a trustee of the public library, and President of the Win- 
chester Historical Society. He died July 11, 1892, aged sixty- 
seven years. 

Samuel Hilliard Folsom, of Winchester, July 27, J 892, to No- 
vember, 1904 (12 years). 



'^t 



Born in Hopkinton, N. H., February 23, 1826. Fitted for 
college at Pembroke, X. H., graduating from Dartmouth in 1851. 
Principal of Westford Academy from 1851 to 1853, one of his 
pupils being Hon. J. Henry Read, who was County Commis- 
sioner twenty-one years. Admitted to the Suffolk bar. 1857. 
Was appointed Clerk of Courts pro tern, in 1871, serving during 
the sickness of Benjamin F. Ham, who was succeeded by Theo. 
C. llnrd in 1872. In 1871 he was appointed Assistant Register 
of Probate and Insolvency, which position lie held eighteen years, 
until the death of J. H. Tyler, in 1892, when he was appointed 
Register by Governor Russell, and afterwards elected by the 
people. In January, 1904, he was stricken with apoplexy, which 
rendered him absolutely incompetent either to perform the duties 
appertaining to his office or to resign. In the month of Novem- 
ber, 1904, a petition was presented to the Supreme Court setting 
forth the facts, upon which the office was declared vacant. Mr. 
Folsom was a faithful, efficient, and popular official. lie had 
been in the probate service since 1ST 1, covering a period of thirty 
years. lie was succeeded in office by William Everett Rogers, 
late Assistant Register, who was appointed by Governor Rates. 



William Everett Rogers, of Wakefield. Appointed November, 
1904. 



See Assistant Register. 











>M'>>.:£ 







SAMUEL HILL1ARD FOLSOM n P U/, 
ReeistPr r,f p u . UM ' 0l " Winchester. 

Keg,ster of Probate and Insolvency 1892 to 1904. 




WILLIAM EVERETT ROGERS, of Wakefield. 
Register of Probate 1892 to 1904. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 215 

ASSISTANT REGISTERS PROBATE AND 
INSOLVENCY. OFFICE CREATED IN 1858. 

Isaac Francis Jones, of Cambridge, 1858 to 1873 (15 years). 

Born in Weston February 17, 1820. ( iraduated from 
Brown University, 1843. Mr. Jones was a Clerk in the Probate 
office as early as 1846, previous to which he was a teacher. He 
was many times Register pro tern, up to 1859, when the office 
of Assistant Register was established, and he was appointed the 
first incumbent, holding the position until his last sickness. He 
died July 10, 1ST3, aged fifty-three. He married Sarah H. W., 
daughter of Deacon John W. Donallon, a watchmaker in Cam- 
bridge, who became somewhat noted as the "Poet Laureate" of 
the "seasons" in the old Robert B. Thomas Farmer's Almanac. 



Samuel Hilliard Folsom, 1873 to 1892 (19 years). 
Afterwards Register. 



William Everett Rogers, of Wakefield, 1892 to November 30, 
1904 (12 years). 

P.orn at Webster, Mass., July U>, 1854. Graduated from 
Trinity College, Hartford, Conn., 1877. In 1855 his father com- 
menced practicing law in Chicago, PI., but dying the following 
year, his widow with her young daughter and son removed to the 
home of her father. Colonel William Barron, at Norwich, Yt., 
and in 18G5, for the purpose of educating her children, she 
removed to Hartford, Conn., where young Rogers passed his 



216 



WCIKXT MIDDLESEX. 



school days, fitting' for college in the Hartford high school. In 
L879 he entered the law school of Boston University. Graduated 
111 1880 with an LL. B., admitted to the New Hampshire bar in 
August, and to the Suffolk bar in November of the same year. 
Practiced law ifi Wakefield and Boston until 1892, when he was 
appointed Assistant Register by Hon. George M. Brooks, the 
then fudge of Probate. Mr. Rogers lives in Wakefield, is a Re- 
publican, and has served his town in various offices. ( hi the 
removal of Mr. Folsom for incapacity, the Governor appointed 
him to fill the vacancy. 



Frederick March Esty, of Framingham, December, 1904, to date. 



&%> 




Born in Framingham July 27, 1852. Son of Hon. I'. C. 
Esty, a distinguished citizen of that town. Educated in the pub- 
lic schools of his native place and at Phillips Andover Academy. 
Studied law with ( ieorge C. Travis, Esq., and was admitted to 
the bar in 1882. ' Appointed Deputy Sheriff in January, 1887, by 
the late Sheriff dishing, serving in that capacity until appointed 
a Court Officer for attendance at the sessions of the Supreme 
and Superior Courts. Afterwards he was appointed as perma- 
nent officer for the Probate Court, where he seiwed eight years 
previous to being appointed as Assistant Register of Probate and 
Insolvency, to succeed William E. Rogers, advanced to the posi- 
tion of Register, lie is Right Worshipful District Deputy Grand 
Master of the Twentv-first Masonic District. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 21? 

Charles Nathan Harris, of Winchester, J905. 

Morn at Port Byron, 111., October 6, 1860. Son of Rev. 
John L. Harris, a Congregational clergyman, who, from 1872 to 
IS!) I, rilled the pastorate in several Massachusetts parishes. 
After fitting for college, he entered the Harvard Law School. 
from which he was graduated in 1NS4. Before Ins graduation 
from the Law School, viz., on June 22, 1882, he was admitted to 
the Suffolk bar, and since then has maintained an office in 
Boston. From 189] to 189-1 Mr. Harris was second assistant 
attorney-general (hiring the term of Hon. A. E. Pillsbnry. In 
1895 he was appointed by Governor Greenhalge to prepare the 
Supplement to the Public Statutes, and in 1900 he was ap- 
pointed by Governor Crane a member of the commission for the 
consolidation and arrangement of the Public Statutes. 

In 1902 he prepared the Index to the Revised Laws, and, in 
1903, he assisted in drafting the Act which was subsequenth 
enacted as the Business Corporation Law of 1903. Mr. Harris 
is also the author of the "Massachusetts Statutory Citations"; 
and, in collaboration with ( irosvenor Calkins. Esq., of the 
Manual of the Business Corporation Laws of Massachusetts. 
He also edited the fourth and fifth volumes of the Massachusetts 
Digest. In 1905 he was appointed second assistant register of 
probate and insolvency for the county of Middlesex. 




CHARLES NATHAN HARRIS, of Winchester. 

Second Assistant Register of Probate 1935. 

(See page 217.) 




ISAAC FRANCIS JONES, of Cambridge. 

Assistant Register of Probate 1858 to 1873. 

(See page 215.) 




FREDERICK MARCH ESTY. of Framingham. 

Assistant Register of Probate and Insolvency 1904 to date. 

(See page 216.) 



\\( TENT MIDDLESEX. 



22 I 



REGISTERS OF DEEDS, SOUTHERN DIS- 
TRICT. 

Deputy Gov. Thomas Danforth, of Cambridge, April, 1649, to 
July 27, 1686 (37 years). 

See Clerks of Courts. 



Capt. Laurence Hammond, of Charlestown, July 27, 1686, to 
April JO, J 693 (7 years). 
See Clerks of Courts. 



Capt. Samuel Phipps, of Charlestown, April 10, 1693, to April 
14, 1721 (28 years.) 

See Clerks of Courts. 



Hon. Francis Foxcroft, of Cambridge, April 14, 172J, to April 8, 
1766 (45 years). 




0% ' ukcav? 




Horn January 26, L(i95. Son of Francis first. Graduated 
from Harvard in CI - .'. Clerk of House, Representative, Coun- 
cillor, 1732 to 1757; First Justice Court Common Pleas, 1737; 
Register Probate 1719-31. Register of Deeds forty-five years. 
The oldest Justice of the Peace in the count}. He was father of 
John Foxcroft. Register of Deeds. 1766-76. Died March 28, 
1768, aged seventy-three vears. 



222 



A.NCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



John Foxcroft, of Cambridge, April 8, 1766, to April 22, 1776 
(10 years). 




Born March 26, 1740. Son of Francis second. Graduated 
from Harvard in L758. Died in Cambridge, 1802, aged sixty- 
two years. 



Adjutant-General Ebene:er Bridge, of Chelmsford, April 23, 1776, 
to March 14, 1781 (5 years). 

See Count v Treasurers. 



Thaddcus Mason, of Charlestown, March 31, 1781, to December 
14, 1784 (3 years). 

See Clerks of Courts. 



Hon. William "Winthrop, of Cambridge, December 15, 1784, to 
September 27, 1794 (10 years). 




J^ 



Born April 19, 1753. Son of Professor John Winthrop of 
Harvard College. A descendant of Governor John Winthrop in 
the fifth generation. Graduated from Harvard in 1770, Town 




SAMUEL BARTLETT, of Concord and Cambridge. 

Register of Deeds 1794 to 1821. 

(See page 225.) 




CALEB HAYDEN, of Cambr.dge. 
F Register of Deeds 1845 to 1865. 

From a mask ,n the possession of Hon. E. D. Hayden, of Woburn. 



(See page 226.) 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 225 

Clerk, 1782 to '88. Selectman ten years, between 1786 and 1802. 
Senator, 1799. Died February 5, 1825, aged seventy-two years. 



Samuel Bartlett, of Concord and Cambridge, October 17, 1794, 
to September 29, 1821 (27 years). 



nJ&TT? -otC^ j$6l^/&^*4c< 



W 



Born in White Bread alley, Boston, November 17, 1752. 
Son of Captain Roger and Anne Hurd Bartlett, of Charlestown. 
He learned the trade of silversmith and pursued the business at 
Concord until elected as Register of Deeds, after which he re- 
moved to Cambridge, and died there while still in office, Sep- 
tember 20, 1821, aged sixty-nine years. 



Dr. William Fiske Stone, of Framingham and Cambridge, Octo- 
ber 3, 1821, to September 10, 1845 (24 years). 







Born in Framingham April 10, 1784. He was a practicing 
physician previous to his election as Register of Deeds. He was 
an active member of the New England Historical Genealogical 
Society, and a contributor in matters of interest to its member- 
ship. After serving twenty-four years as Register he resigned 
from ill health and died at Cambridge March 26, 1857, aged 
seventy-three years. 



226 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

Caleb Hayden, of Cambridge, September 13, 1845, to March 13, 
J 865 (20 years). 



Born in Scitnate September 6, 1797. Son of Daniel and 
Nancy (Doane) Hayden. He had only the common school edu- 
cation of the early years of the last century, but was a lover of 
books, and read and enjoyed only the best. He was a Whig at 
first, but afterwards a life-long Republican, and a Unitarian in 
religious belief. He was a quiet, genial, unassuming gentleman, 
ever attentive to his official duties, and courteous to all. He was 
never married. Hon. Edward D. Hayden, of Woburn, formerly 
a member of Congress, was his nephew. He died (less than a 
month after the commencement of his last sickness) April 6, 
18G5, aged sixty-eight vears. 



Lieut. Charles Benjamin Stevens, of Cambridge, March 13, 1865, 
to December 30, 1896 (31 years). 



\£) I\cCH3 <&X3Z^xsi^4 /K.O^ 



Born November 7, 1818. Member Cambridge Common 
Council 1864-65. In 1834, at the age of sixteen, he entered the 
office of Registrv of Deeds as a clerk. In L865 he was elected 
Register, being constantly re-elected until his death. With the 
exception of nine months as First Lieutenant, Company A, 
Forty-seventh Massachusetts Volunteers, in the Civil war, he was 
in the service of the County of Middlesex sixty-two years. He 
died December 30, 1896, aged seventy-eight, filled with years and 
honor. 





X 



CHARLES BENJAMIN STEVENS op Cauwh 
Register of Deeds 1865 to 1896. 




EDWIN OTIS CHILDS, of Newton. 
Register of Deeds, Southern District, 1897 to date. 



AXCIEXT MIDDLESEX. 



229 



Edwin Otis Childs, of Newton, January 4, J897, to date. 

Born in Milledg.eville, Ga., September 29, 1847. Educated 
in the public schools in Springfield, Mass., Phillips (Andover) 
Academy, and Williams College, class of 1871. Appointed As- 
sistant City Clerk and Treasurer of the City of Newton, January 
5, 1874, and served in that capacity until January 1, 1876. Janu- 
ary 3, 1876, unanimously elected City Clerk of Newton, and was 
re-elected each succeeding year until he resigned April 1, 1883, 
to accept the position of Treasurer of the Harvard Clock com- 
pany, which position he held until 1888, when he resigned. 
Served as Alderman of Ward 1 of the City of Newton during the 
years 1888 and 1889. Was appointed Deputy Sheriff and Court 
( officer in 1891, and served in that position until January 4, 1897, 
when he was appointed by the County Commissioners Register of 
Deeds for the Middlesex South District to fill the vacancy caused 
by the death of Charles B. Stevens. In November, 1897, he was 
elected to fill the unexpired term, and has been constantly re- 
elected since that time. 



230 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

ASSISTANT REGISTERS OF DEEDS, SOUTH- 
ERN DISTRICT. 

(See Acts of 1873, Chap. 19, Sec. 1.) 

Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Atherton Stevens, of Cambridge, 
J 883 to 1895 (12 years)- 





T&Kg/ Od^Z^C^ 



Born in Cambridge October 25, 1848. Son of Charles B. 
Stevens, late Register of Deeds. Educated in the public schools 
of his native city. He was appointed a Clerk in the Registry, in 
which position he served until he became Assistant Register, 
April 4, 1883, serving in that capacity until the day of his death. 
From 1873 to 1875 he was a member of Company A, Fourth 
Battalion Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, rising to the rank of 
corporal. In 1882 and 1886 he was sergeant of the A. H. A. 
Company. In 1876 he was appointed Assistant Inspector-Gen- 
eral Massachusetts Militia, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. 
He was also a member of the Masonic Fraternity. Died Febru- 
ary 19, 1895, aged forty-seven years. 

Edward Hutchings Thompson, of Cambridge, January, 1896, 
to January, 1897. 




cutcC 



{S&l/mWlfadTL/ 



Born in Boston September 16, 1850. Educated in the Bos- 
ton public schools. Began work as Clerk in the Registry of 




LIEUTENANT-COLONEL KENRY ATHERTON STEVENS, of Cambridge. 
Assistant Register of Deeds, Southern District, 1883 to 1895. 




EDWARD HUTCHINGS THOMPSON, of Cambridge. 
Assistant Register of Deeds, Southern District, January, 1896, to January, 1897. 

(See page 230.) 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 233 

Deeds (South District) under Charles B. Stevens, Register, June 
17, 1872. Appointed Assistant Register by the late Charles B. 
Stevens January "27, 1896, served as Assistant Register until the 
appointment oi Edwin ( ). Childs, Esq., by the County Commis- 
sioners as Register January 2, 1897. Appointed superintendent 
of the indexing department by Edwin ( ). Childs, Register, Janu- 
ary 5, 1897, a position which he held until his decease, January 
13, 1905, aged fifty-five years. 



Thomas Leighton, Jr., 1897 to date. 




Was horn in Cambridge October 30, 1870. Was 
educated in the public schools of that city, and entered Middlesex 
South District Registry of Deeds August 11, 1885, as messenger, 
under Charles B. Stevens, Register. Was appointed Assistant 
Register of Deeds under Edwin ( ). Childs, Register, January 8, 
1S97, which position he holds at the present time. 



234 A.NCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

REGISTERS OF DEEDS OF THE NORTHERN 

DISTRICT. 

(Established July 1, 1855. See Chap. 70, Acts and Resolves.) 
Asahel Bliss Wright, of Lowell, 1855 to 1868 (13 years). 



JJ2. /Jrmtfrt, 



Born at Royalton, Yt.. November 5. 1819. In early life he 
became a citizen of Lowell, and was a compositor upon the 
Lowell Courier. In 1854 he was a representative to the Legisla- 
ture, and in 1855 became the first Register of Deeds for the 
Northern District. He was an active and consistent member of 
the First 1 iaptist church of Lowell, of which he was deacon. His 
Christian character is cherished by the church and the com- 
munity in which he moved to the present day. After leaving 
Lowell, he established himself as a conveyancer in Boston, and 
died in Dorchester August IT 1890, aged seventv-one vears. 



Rev. Ithamar Warren Beard, of Lowell, 1868 to September, 1873 
(6 years). 



c? 






Horn in Pittsfield, N. H., February 23, 1840. Son of the 
late Hon. Ithamar W. Beard, of Lowell, who was Assistant 
United States Treasurer under the administration of President 
Fierce, and a brother-in-law of Moses Norris, United States 
Senator from New Hampshire. The subject of this sketch 
passed through the public schools of Lowell, and fitted for col- 




THOMAS LEIGHTON, Jr., of Cambridge. 

Assistant Register of Deeds. Southern District, 1897 to date. 

(See page 233.) 




ASAHEL BLISS WRIGHT, of Lowell. 
The First Register of Deeds, Northern District, 1855 to If 
(See page 234.) 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 23 1 ) 

lege at the Cambridge High School and Lawrence Academy, 
Groton. Entered Harvard in L858, but left in his junior year to 
enlist in the Civil War. ( hi account of his father's sickness, he 
was obliged to resign a commission in the Nineteenth Massachu- 
setts Regiment and leave the service. He studied law with 1). S. 
and G. F. Richardson in Lowell, and was admitted to the bar in 
1864. Received the degree of A. B. from Harvard College in 
1870. During his second term as Register of I )eeds, he prepared 
himself for the ministry of the Protestant Episcopal Church, re- 
ceiving the degree of B. D. from the theological school of that 
sect in Cambridge June 15, 1873, and became Rector of Saint 
James Church. Smith Groveland, Mass.. July, L873, after which 
he resigned the position of Register of Deeds. He remained at 
Groveland until November 1, 187(>, when he was called to be the 
Rector of Saint Thomas's Church, I )over, X. H., where he served 
with marked success until January R 1899, a period of twenty- 
three years. During his work in Dover, a new church edifice 
and a rectory were erected, and the membership increased from 
eighty-seven to two hundred and fifty. Since January 1, IS!)!), 
he has acted as chaplain of the "Chapel of the Good Shepherd" 
tin Blackwell's Island, in the city of New York, in connection 
with the Xew York Citv Home for the Agfed and Infirm. 



George A. McEvoy, of Lowell. 



Eqjj^ -AV Oi 



Acted as Assistant Register from the resignation of Mr. 
Beard, about September 15, 1873, until the election and qualifica- 
tion of Captain Thompson. His name last appears January 8, 
1874. in that capacity. Mr. McEvoy is at present an esteemed 
citizen of Lowell, engaged in mercantile pursuits. 




Rev. ITHAMAR WARREN BEARD, of Lowell. 

Register of Deeds, Northern District, 1868 to 1873. 

(See page 234.) 




JOSEPH PAINE THOMPSON, cf Lowell. 

Register of Deeds, Northern District, 1874 to date. 

(See page 240.) 



240 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

Captain Joseph Paine Thompson, of Lowell, 1874 to date. 




fyti^/WPf 







Born in Brownfield, Me., April 11. L830. Came to Lowell 
in L849, working first in a brick-yard, next with the Middlesex 
corporation, and finally ran a clothing- store. Becoming imbued 
with the spirit of patriotism he sold out his store at a sacrifice, 
and raised a company for the Thirty-third Massachusetts Volun- 
teers, with which he went to war as Second Lieutenant. In 1863 
he was promoted to First Lieutenant, and in 1865 to Captain. 
He was connected with the staff of General Hooker at Lookout 
Mountain, and was with General Sherman in his march from At- 
lanta to the sea. He has been Register of Deeds, Northern Dis- 
trict, since January, 1874. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 24] 

COUNTY ATTORNEYS." 

Hon. Samuel Dana, of Groton and Charlestown, 1807 to I8U 
(4 years). 



4 j^y$^tccct£)4Pit^-U^y 



Bom in Groton June 26, ITfiT. Postmaster there, 1 son to 
1804. Representative, 1803, 1825, L826, L827. Senator, 1805- 
1806-1807-1808-180.9-1810-1811-1812 and 1817. President of the 
Senate 1807-11, and L812. Representative in Congress, isi ! 
and 1815. Member of the Constitutional Convention of 1820, 
and Presidential Elector same year. Chief Justice Circuit Court 
Common Pleas from October 14, 1816. Died November 20, 
1.835, aged sixty-eight years. Judge Dana's education was of 
the most ordinar\- character, supplemented by such assistanee as 
he received from Ins father, who was a Harvard graduate, and 
minister at Groton for many years. It would not have been 
deemed sufficient for entry at Harvard, had it been possible for 
his father to have assumed the expenses incident thereto. Not- 
withstanding this, lie became a great lawyer, and divided high 
honors with Hon. Timothy Bigelow as the ablest advocate at 
the bar in Northern .Middlesex. During much of his official 
career he resided in Charlestown in a colonial mansion which 
stood on the southerly slope of Bunker Hill, overlooking the 
navy yard and the harbor of Boston. He was a man of tine per- 
sonality, both physically and mentally, lie was six feet and one 
inch in height, and a gentleman in the most liberal interpretation 

*From L780 to 1807 there appears to have been no regularly- 
appointed County Attorneys. Under the provisions of Chap. 18. Sec. 1. 
<>f the Acts of 1807, the Governor was authorized to appoint " County 
Attorneys" to prosecute criminal cases in their respective counties. 
Chap. 130, Sec. !». of the Acts of 183-2 constituted Middlesex and Essex 
as the "Northern District for the administration of criminal law." Tn 
1848, by Chap. 16, Sec. 1, Essex was constituted as the "Eastern District," 
thus leaving Middlesex alone in the "Northern District." Under a pro- 
vision of the Constitution adopted in 1855, District Attorneys have since 
been elected by the people. 



242 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

of the character. No picture of this distinguished man was ever 
painted, as he was strangely adverse to anything of the kind, 
which is regrettable. He was father of General James Dana. 

Mr. Bigelow was a Federalist, and commanded a militia 
companv in Groton composed exclusively of members of that 
partv, while Mr. Dana was a Democrat, and commanded a com- 
panv in the same town composed entirely of those of his political 
faith. Roth of these able men were great lovers of horse flesh, 
and kept only the best. It must have been an inspiring scene 
to witness their drives from Groton to Concord Court, "hip and 
tie," as seems to have been their usual custom. After Mr. Dana 
moved back to Groton from Charlestown, he cultivated one of 
the finest and most attractive estates in Middlesex, which finally 
passed into the hands of Hon. Timothy Fuller, his successor in 
the office of County Attorney. Mr. Dana was postmaster or 
Groton, and it may be interesting to note that in 1800 the quar- 
terly receipts of his office amounted to $3 ! He delivered main 
notable Masonic orations, and was secretary of Saint Paul's 
Lodge, Groton. 

Hon. Timothy Fuller, of Cambridge, J8U to IS J3 (2 years). 




Born in Chilmark. July 11, 1778. Graduated from Harvard 
with second honors in 1801: Representative, 1825, 1827-1831. 
Speaker of House, 182."). Senator, 1813 to 1816. Councillor, 
1828. Representative in Congress, 1817 to 1825. He was a 
man of considerable ability, both as a lawyer and statesman. 
He was the father and early tutor of that eccentric and ex- 
traordinary literary genius, Sarah Margaret Fuller (Marchioness 
de Ossoli), who was reading Latin at six years of age, and at 
twenty-six was a close friend of Emerson, Hawthorne, and Chan- 
ning, and had earned the title of the "Priestess of Transcen- 
dentalism." She was perhaps the earliest, and certainly the 




HON. TIMOTHY FIJI i pp „„ r 

'Win I f-ULLhK, OF CAMBRIDGE. 

County Attorney 1811 to 1813. 




HON. ASAHEL STEARNS, LL. D.. cf Cambridge. 
County Attorney 1813 to 1832. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



245 



ablest, advocate of women's rights. Her tragic death, with that 
of her husband and son, by shipwreck, near the entrance to the 
harbor of New York, more than fifty years ago, is still remem- 
bered and regretted. Timothy Fuller died in Groton October 
1. 1835, of Asiatic cholera, aged fifty-seven vears. 



Hon. Asahel Stearns, of Chelmsford, Charlestown, and Cam- 
bridge, JSJ3 to 1832 (19 years). 




6Lsy~?^A 



Born in Lunenburg June IT, 1774. Graduated from Har- 
vard in GMT. Preceptor of Groton Academy, afterwards settled 
in that portion of Chelmsford now Lowell. Representative Gen- 
eral Court, 1817. Senator, L813, 1830, and 1831. Representa- 
tive in Congress, 1815 to 1817. In the legal profession he was 
distinguished for his great knowledge of the law. "Real Ac- 
tions," published by him in 1824, is standard authority to this 
daw Harvard College, wherein he was "L niversitv Professor of 
Lav" from 1SG to 1839, conferred upon him the degree of 
LL.I). in 1825. In 1832 he was appointed a Commissioner on 
Revision of the General Statutes. He died in Cambridge Feb- 
ruary 5, 1839. aged sixtv-five vears. 




HON. ASAHEL HUNTINGTON, op Salem 
District Attorney 1832 to 1845. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 247 

DISTRICT ATTORNEYS. 

Hon. Asahel Huntington, of Salem, 1832 to 1845 (J3 years). 



zJt<^l~~ £~r' 



Born in Topsfield July 23, L798. Son of a celebrated min- 
ister of his time, whose descendants are eminent in his profession 
to the present day. Graduated from Yale in 1819. Settled in 
Salem, where he remained during the balance of an active career. 
Representative, 1827, 1829, 1831. Member of the Constitutional 
Convention of 1853, and Mayor of Salem the same year. From 
1832 to 1845, when Middlesex and Essex formed the Northern 
District, he was District Attorney, and conducted with marked 
ability some of the most famous criminal cases in the annals of 
the court, having- as antagonists such lawyers as Webster and 
Choate. In 1851 he was elected Clerk of Courts of Essex, and 
died in office September 5, 1870, aged seventy-two years. The 
panegyrics pronounced after his decease by distinguished mem- 
bers of the bench and bar were highly eulogistic and sympa- 
thetic. 



Hon. Albert Hobart Nelson, of Woburn, 1845 to J 848 (3 years). 

Born in Carlisle (or Milford, Mass.), March 12, 1812. Gradu- 
ated from Harvard in 1832. Senator, 1848-1849. Member of 
the Council, 1855. Appointed Chief Justice of the Superior 
Court, County of Suffolk, in 1855. A good lawyer and fine 
speaker. He broke down mentally and became an inmate of the 
McLean asylum, Somerville, where he died. His wife was a 
daughter of Elias Phinney, of Lexington, Clerk of Courts many 
years. Died June 27, 1858, aged forty-six years. 




s 



HON. ALBERT HOBART NELSON, of Woburn. 

District Attorney 1845 to 1348. 

(See page 247.) 




HON. CHARLES RUSSELL TRAIN, of Framingham and Boston. 

District Attorney 1848 to 185! and from 1853 to 1855. 

(See page 251.) 




ISAAC STEVENS MORSE, of Lowell and Cambridge. 

District Attorney 1855 to 1872. 

(See page 252.) 



A \'('l ENT .Ml DDLESEX. 



253 



Hon. Charles Russell Train, of Framingham, 1848 to J85J (3 
years). 



^g>/£iC^ 



Born in Framingham October 18, 1*17. Graduated from 
Brown University in 1837. Representative from Framingham, 
ls47 and 1848, from Boston, 1868, 1870 and 1871. He was 
Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge, A. F. and A. M.. of 
Massachusetts, in 1856, and Deputy Grand Master in 1859. 
Representative in Congress, 1859 to 1863, Councillor, 1857 and 
1858, Member of the Constitutional Convention in 1853. A 
member of Common Council, Huston, 1867, 1868. Attorney- 
General Massachusetts. 1872 to 1878. Assistant Adjutant- 
General staff General Gordon in the Civil war. Was in the 
battle of Antietam. lie was a lawyer and statesman of ability 
and prominence. Died at North Conway, X. II., July •.".», 1885, 
aged sixtv-eigfht vears. 



Lieutenant Asa W. Farr, of Lowell, 1851 to 1853 (2 years). 



,J7frTa^ 



Horn in Sharon, \ t., 1821. In 1841 he was a citizen of 
Lowell; in 1844 a printer connected with the "Vox Populi," 
which it is said that he edited at one time; in 1S-T> he became a 
lawyer, and in 1 S47 was associated with Benjamin V. Butler, 
under the firm name of Butler and Farr. Benjamin F. Butler, 
his partner, first appeared in a Lowell directory printed by Leon- 
ard Huntress in 1841 as a "student at law" with William Smith. 
Mr. Farr was appointed District Attorney by Governor Boutwell, 
and removed by his successor, suffering a fate meted out to most 
of the officials of his political faith. Disheartened and disgusted 
he soon went West, settling in Geneva, Walworth County, Wis 



352 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



consin, from which place he was a member of the Wisconsin As- 
sembly in 1856. He was a hero of the Civil war and gave his 
life to his country. This is the record as it stands in the office 
of the Adjutant- General of Wisconsin: — 

"Commissioned Quartermaster Third Regiment Wisconsin 
Cavalrv Volunteers, November 25, 1861, to rank same date. Sec- 
ond Lieutenant May ?, 1862. First Lieutenant and Quartermas- 
ter, November 28, 1862. Killed in action October 6, 1863, at 
Baxter Springs, Kansas." Aged forty-two years. 

Hon, Charles R. Train, J 853 to J 855 (2 years). 
I lefore mentioned. 



Isaac Stevens Morse, of Lowell and Cambridge, 1855 to J872 
(17 yearsX 




Born in Haverhill, X. H., December 27, 1817. City Solici- 
tor Lowell. 1850 to L852. Representative General Court, 1866. 
His career as an official was long. able, and efficient, lie died in 
Boston, December 27, 1896, aged seventy-nine vears. 



John Benton Goodrich, of Newton, J872 to J874 (2 years). 

Horn in Fitchburg, January L 1836. Graduated from Dart- 
mouth in 1857. From 1859 to 1865 he resided in Watertown, 




JOHN BENTON GOODRICH, of Newton. 
District Attorney 1872 to 1874. 




GEORGE STEVENS, of Lowell 
District Attorney 1874 to 1679. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



255 



where he served upon the school committee. After settling in 
Newton he was continued upon the school committee of that 
city during several years, and was a member of the General Court, 
1869 and L870. He was Past Master of Pequossette lodge. F. 
and A. M. His ancestry was of strong New England blood. 
William Goodrich came over with Sir Richard Saltonstall, and 
was in Watertown as early as 1634, afterwards pushing into the 
wilderness around Fitehburg. Another ancestor was Deacon 
David Goodrich, who commanded a company at Bunker Hill, 
and who had a son. John, in the same tight, from whom the 
Christian name descended to the subject of this sketch. Mr. 
Goodrich was a good lawyer, a fluent and effective speaker, and a 
man of charming personality, lie died in Boston January 11, 
3 900, aged sixty-four years. 



George Stevens, of Lowell, October 17, 1874, to J 879 (5 years). 




/ C fc<^2 ? 




Born in Stoddard, \. H.. October 23, L824. Graduated 
from Dartmouth in is ID. After spending some time as a 
teacher, he settled in Lowell, where he gained an excellent repu- 
tation at the bar. Representative. L858, and City Solicitor in 
186? and '68. He was a man of learning and a Christian gentle- 
man. It is related of him that it was his custom, while at family 
devotions, to read a chapter of the Bible, which was repeated by 
his wife, his son. and his daughter in different languages. Died 
in Lowell June 6, 1884, aged sixty years. 




HON. JOHN WILKES HAMMOND, of Cambridge. 

District Attorney 1879 to 1880. 

(See page 258). 




HON. WILLIAM BURNHAM STEVENS op S™ 

District Attorney I860 to, 8%. ""' 

(See page 258.) 



258 



A N C I E X T M [DDLES E X . 



Hon. John Wilkes Hammond, of Cambridge, September 6, J879, 
to \ 880. 

Born in Mattapoisett, of parents in moderate circumstances, 
December Hi. 1837. After passing through the public schools, 
by earnest application he was finally enabled to gather together a 
sufficient sum to enter Tufts College, from which he graduated 
with high honors in 1861, but burdened with a debt of $.500. He 
taught school awhile and then enlisted in Company I, Third 
Massachusetts Volunteers, serving until the close of his enlist- 
ment. After his discharge from the service he taught in Wake- 
field, and was principal of the Melrose high school in 1865. In 
1866 he settled in Cambridge and commenced the practice of law. 
He was Representative in 1872 and 1873, and City Solicitor from 
1873 to March 10, 1886, when he was appointed a Justice of the 
Superior Court, from which he was advanced in 1898 to the 
bench of the Supreme Judicial Court, where he now sits. 



Hon. William Burnham Stevens, of Stoneham, 1880 to 1890 
(JO years). 




Of. 




Born there March 23, 1843. Graduated from Dartmouth in 
L865. A veteran of the Civil war, having served as a private in 
Company C, Fiftieth Massachusetts Volunteers. After retiring 
from the position of District Attorney, he practiced law with dis- 
tinction for several years. He wrote and published an exceed- 
ingly able and interesting history of his native town. Was ap- 
pointed in 1898 as a Justice of the Superior Court, in which ca- 
pacity he is now serving. 



s 




I 




PATRICK HENRY COONEY, of Nat.ck. 

District Attorney 1890 to 1893. 

(See page 261.) 




FREDERICK NEWTON WIER, of Lowell. 
District Attorney 1893 to 1902. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 261 

Patrick Henry Cooney, of Natick, 1890 to 1893 (3 years). 




Born in Stockbridge, Mass., December 20, 1845. He was 
educated in the Natick high school, from which he graduated, 
and at the Allen English and Classical school, West Newton, and 
was admitted to the bar in Suffolk County in 1868, since which 
time he has practiced in Boston and in Natick. In 1880 he was 
appointed Assistant District Attorney, and held the office until 
1890, when he was elected District Attorney, having received the 
nomination of both parties. In 1893 he declined to be again a 
candidate, and retired from the office, since which time he has 
been engaged largely in defending corporations, principally the 
West End and the Boston Elevated, in accident and land damage 
cases. He served on the school committee in Natick four years, 
and has been Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Leonard 
Morse Hospital the past ten years. 

Frederick Newton Wier, of Lowell, 1893 to 1902 (9 years). 

Born in Lowell, July 1, 1861. Graduated from the public 
schools and fitted for college in the Lowell high school. Gradu- 
ated from Amherst College, class of '82. In business for three 
years. Then studied law at the Boston University Law school 
and in the office of J. M. Marshall in Lowell ; graduated from the 
Law school with the degree of LL. \\. in 1887, and admitted to 
the bar in Middlesex County in the same year. Was in the office 
of Hon. A. L. Pillsbury. of Boston, until January, 1889, when a 
partnership was formed with Larkin T. Trull, in Lowell, under 
the firm name of Trull & Wier. Served as a member of the 
House of Representatives of the Massachusetts Legislature dur- 
ing the years 1891 and 1892. Now practicing law in Boston and 
Lowell. 




GEORGE AUGUSTUS SANDERSON, of Ayer. 
District Attorney 1902 to date. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 263 

George Augustus Sanderson, J902 to date. 

Born at the old Sanderson homestead in the westerly part of 
Littleton, Mass., July 1, 1803, being- one of the fifth generation 
of Sandersons born in the same house. He is the only son of 
George W. and Charlotte E. (Tuttle) Sanderson. In 17-50 his 
father's ancestors settled in Littleton, contemporaneously with 
those of his mother, the Ipswich Tuttles. Mr. Sanderson's early 
education was acquired in the schools of his native town. He 
prepared for college at Lawrence Academy, Groton, Mass. In 
1885 he graduated from Yale University, and from the Boston 
University Law school in 1887, being admitted to the bar the 
same year. He began practice in Boston at once, still retaining 
his residence in Littleton, until his removal to Aver in 1897. 
After his admission to the bar, and while residing in Littleton, he 
conducted a class at the Massachusetts Reformatory at Concord 
each Sunday, going in the morning and spending the day there. 
He relinquished this work when appointed to the office of Assist- 
ant District Attorney in January, 1893, which office he held con- 
tinuously to January 1, 1902. At the State election, November 
5, 1901, he was elected District Attorney. During his residence 
in Littleton he was several times chosen moderator of its town 
meetings, and since living in Aver he has often been called upon 
to perform the same duties. For several years he was a member 
of the school committee of Littleton, being chairman of the board 
at the time of his removal from that town. Since his school days 
at Lawrence Academy, Mr. Sanderson has had the prosperity of 
that institution at heart, for several years serving as a member of 
the Trustees, and at the present time as President of the Board. 
He is a member of the Episcopal church, and of the Masonic 
fraternity. 




JOSEPH GIBSON HOLT, of Cambridge. 
Assistant District Attorney 1875. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



205 



ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEYS. 

Captain Theodore Clarence Hurd, 1865 to 1872 (7 years). 
See Countv Clerks. 



Hon. Charles John Mclntire, 1872 to 1875 (3 years). 
Sec fudge of Probate. 



Joseph Gibson Holt, of Cambridge, 1875, one term of Court. 




Born in Henniker, N. H., March 9, 1839. Son of Varnum 
S. and Caroline Susan (Gibson) Holt. He was educated at Law- 
rence Academy. Groton, and after attending law lectures at Har- 
vard, entered the office of Judge J. P. Richardson, of Cambridge. 
hi due time he was admitted to the bar, and since then has con- 
fined his attention to the practice of the law in Suffolk and Mid- 
dlesex. For many years he was an active factor in local, county, 
and state politics, but did not care to hold office himself, having 
refused a nomination to the Legislature when it was offered by 
both parties. He was, however, Clerk of the Cambridge Com- 
mon Council from 1861 to 1866, and later on a member of that 
body. 

Tn the direct line he is descended from Nicholas Holt, of 
Newbury and Andover, who came to America in 1635, and of 
whom it is related that he, with ten others, walked from Newbury 




GILBERT ABIEL ABBOT PEVEY. of Cambridge. 

Assistant District Attorney 1890 to 1893. 

(Ss5 page 269.) 



USTCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



261 



to Cambridge (forty miles) to record their votes for the election 
of John Winthrop as Governor, who was running- against the 
famous, though unfortunate, Sir Harry Vane, a "champion of the 
rights of men and a foe to every tyranny," who was afterwards 
beheaded in England. ( )n his mother's side he is descended 
from John Gibson, who was an inhabitant of Cambridge as early 
as 1634, and who probably came over with the Braintree com- 
pany in 1632, or with Rev. Thomas Hooker in 1633. 



Henry Hedden Winslow, of Cambridge, J875 to 1880 (5 years). 

Born in Elizabeth, X. J., May 5, IS IT. Son of a sea cap- 
tain, who made his home in Xew Bedford, where the boy was 
educated, graduating from the High School May '.'1, L864, at the 
age of seventeen. ( )ne Week from that date he shipped on board 
the whaler "James Arnold," cruising in the Atlantic until No- 
vember 4, 1865. In L866 he again shipped on the same vessel 
and sailed around the world. This cruise occupied over three 
years, and was very successful. The catch of the trip was about 
3,000 barrels of sperm, some of which was sold as high as $2.56 
per gallon. In 1870 he commenced to read law with the firm of 
Chandler, Thayer & Hudson, a very distinguished aggregation 
of lawyers, Mr. Thayer becoming Professor of Law at Harvard, 
and Mr. Hudson President of the Hell Telephone Company. He 
graduated at the Harvard Law School in 1872. Moved to Cam- 
bridge in 1876, where he has practiced law ever since, having an 
office also in Boston. He was one of the Bar Examiners from 
1886 until the appointment of the State Board of Bar Examiners 
in 1897. Is a member of the Masonic Fraternity. Has held no 
public office other than that of an Overseer of the Poor of the 
City of Cambridge. 




HENRY HEDDEN WINSLOW, of Cambridge. 

Assistant District Attorney 1875 to 1880. 

(See page 267.) 



ANCIENT Minitl.KSlA. 



269 



Patrick Henry Cooney, 1880 to J 890 (10 years), 
See District Attorney. 



Gilbert Abiel Abbot Pevey, of Cambridge, 1890 to 1893 (3 years). 




Horn in Lowell, August 22, 1851. Sen of Abiel and Louisa 
(Stone) Pevey. They were both of old New Hampshire stock. 
( )n his mother's side he is descended from a great-grandfather 
who was with Washington at Valley Forge, and on his father's 
side from a grandfather who served in the Revolutionary army. 
Peter Pevey, one of his paternal uncles, was a Captain in the War 
of 1812, and died at the age of ninety-five, llis mother is still 
living, at the age of ninety-one, having remarkable mental and 
physical strength. He was one of the Carney Medal scholars at 
the Lowell High School, and graduated from Harvard in 1873, 
having won several scholarship prizes. Studied law in the office 
of Hon. Theodore H. Sweetser, with whom he subsequently 
went into partnership, and so remained until the death of that 
able lawyer, after which he became associated with Colonel John 
11. ( ieorge, Attorney for the Boston & Lowell Railroad. In 
1893 he was elected City Solicitor of Cambridge, a position which 
he still continues to manage with signal fidelity, skill, and ability. 
He is a member of the Masonic order, being affiliated with the 
lodge, chapter, and commandery in Cambridge. He is also an 
Odd Fellow, and is connected with many social clubs in the Uni- 
versity City. In religion he is an active and earnest Baptist, and 
in politics a Republican, 




HUGH BANCROFT, of Cambridge. 
Assistant District Attorney 1902 to date. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



271 



George Augustus Sanderson, 1893 to J902 (9 years). 
See District Attorney. 



Hugh Bancroft, of Cambridge, January 1, 1902, to date. 



Born in Cambridge, September 13, 1879. Son of Major- 
General William A. Bancroft. Graduate of Harvard in 1897. 
Member of the winning University crew in 1899; also of the 
crew in 1900 and 1901. Admitted to the bar in February, 1901, 
and began the practice of law the following August, with fudge 
Arthur P. Stone and Hon. F. W. Dallinger. Enlisted in Com- 
pany B, Fifth Infantry, M. V. M., July 4. 1894, as Private, later 
Corporal and Sergeant. September 13, 1897, Captain and En 
gineer on the Staff Second Brigade. April 17, 1903, commis- 
sioned Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General Sec- 
ond Brigade, M. V. M. During the Spanish war lie served as 
First Lieutenant and Adjutant of the Fifth Massachusetts In- 
fantry. 



272 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

SUPPLEMENT. 

Containing likenesses of the present Associate County Com- 
missioners ; the Special Sheriff; the Deputy Sheriffs; the Court 
( officers; the Probation ( )fficers of the Superior Criminal Court: 
and the Meads of Departments now in service, all being- alpha- 
betically arranged for convenient reference. 



Associate County Commissioners. 

Hon. Edward Everett Thompson, ex-Mayor of Woburn. Born 
there December 18, 1826. Elected in 1877. 

David Tompkins Strange, of Stoneham. Born in Dighton. 
Mass., July 27, IS IT. Elected in 1899. 



Keeper of the Cambridge Jail and Master of the House of 
Correction. 

John R. Fairbairn. See page K>f. 



Deputy Masters of House of Correction and the Cambridge Jail. 

Ransom Willard, of Cambridge. Born in Rockingham, Wind- 
ham County, \'t., July 13, 1847. Appointed an officer in the 
House of Correction in 1882. 

George Walter Cushing, of Cambridge. Born in Abington, 
Mass., October !), 1844. First appointed Deputy Keeper of 
Lowell Jail in 1893. 

Note. In this collection will be found two of the " tried and faithful '' 
who have passed away during the present generation, viz. : Captain John 
M. Fisk, a Deputy Sheriff for many years, afterwards and until the day 
of his death, Special Sheriff, Master of the House of Correction, and 
Keeper of the Cambridge Jail. He was born in Framingham and died in 
Cambridge; May :'>, 1896, aged 5*7 years. Colonel Jefferson Bancroft, of 
Lowell; three times mayor of that city; VMarden of the State Prison and 
Nestor of all county officials since the Colonial period, having served as 
Deputy Sheriff fifty-three years until his death, January 3, 1890, in the 
eighty-seventh year of his age. He was born in Warwick, Mass., April 
30, 1803.— [Ed. 




1,1 DOANR 



2 1 I A.NCTENT MIDDLESEX. 

Keeper of the Lowell Jail. 

Alvah Smith Baker, of Lowell. Born in Veazie, Me., March 
13, [862. Appointed Keeper, 1899. Appointed Deputy 
Sheriff, 188G. 



Physician and Surgeon of the Cambridge Jail. 

Edward Roswell Utley, of Newton. Born in Dedham, Mass. 
August 18, 1862. Appointed July 18, 1890. 



Superintendent of Brush Department, House of Correction. 

Charles Francis tvenney, of Cambridge. Born July L5, 1841, at 
Passadumkeag, Me. Appointed an officer of the Mouse of 
Correction February L3, 1872. 



Probation Officers of Superior Criminal Court. 

James Petrie Ramsay, of Lowell. Horn in Arbroath, Scotland, 
April 30, L861. Probably the first person in the United 
States to operate an Interlocking Switch and Signal Tower. 
He was in charge of the Lowell Tower twenty years. 
Member of the Legislature in 189? and 1898. 

Rev. Robert Walker, of Cambridge. Born in Waltham January 
"24. 1868. Graduated from Trinity College, Hartford, in 
1891. In 1894 was ordained rector of Church of the Ascen- 
sion, Cambridge, where he now preaches. Member of the 
Cambridge School Committee, and Chaplain of the 1 louse 
of Correction. 



Chief Official Court Stenographer. 

I.aac Irving Doane, of Winchester. Horn in Orleans, Mass. 
January 16, 1850. Appointed September, 1885. 




J R. PARRY 



276 A.NCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

Special Sheriff. See Chap. Ib7, Acts J 880. 

( leorge Washington \\ ebb Saville, of Maiden. Born in < >uincy, 
Mass.. February, is:>:>. Appointed October 16, ls ( .M». See 
C( mrt ( )fficers. 



Deputy Sheriffs. Sec Chap. 44, Acts 1783 ; also statutes of 1699 

Joseph Henry Buck, oi Wo burn. Born in Stoneham fuue I. 
lsl<>. Appointed January, 1902. 

Edward Warren Clark, of Tewksbury. Bom there September 
10, 1854. Appointed in 1891). 

Moses Frank Eastman, of Melrose. Born in Salem July 16, 
1847. App< ifnted in 1 81)3. 

Charles Allen Eveleth, of Lowell. Born in • >rono. Me., fuly I. 
1857. Appointed in 1899. 

John \\ illanl Jones, of Somerville. Born in Charlestown, .\la^ 
March 27, 1860. Appointed in 1904. 

James Henry McKenna, of Waltham. Born there December 1 I 
1846. Appointed in 188 I. 

George Nutt, of Natick. Born there November 5, 1872. Ap- 
pointed in 1896. (Also Messenger of Probate Court.) 

Lyman llarriman Richards, of Maiden. Loin in Bristol. Me., 
September 15, L845. Appointed in L893. 

Harry Egbert Shaw, of Lowell. Born in Turner, Me., April I, 
1861. Appointed in 1903. See Court Officers. 

Henry Clay Sherwin, of Ayer. Born in Townsend, Mass. 
August in, lspi. Appointed in L883. 

George Francis Stiles, of Lowell. Born there August 19, 1861. 
Commission dated 1884. See Court Officers. 

Bradshaw Stearns Tolman, of Waltham. Born there March 20, 
1851 . Appointed in 1898. 

[ Continued on page 278. | 



278 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

Deputy Sheriffs. — (Continued). 

Samuel Webster Tucker, of Newton. Born in Boston .May 5, 
L852. Appointed April 28, LS84. 

William Henry Walsh, of Framingham. Horn there July 3, 
1861. Appointed in JS!>-y 

Walter Chalk Wardwell, of Cambridge. Born in Richmond, 
Va., January 'iT, IS.")!). Appointed in 1893. 

Charles Gilbert Whitman, of Marlborough. Horn in Marble- 
head August 22, 1859. Appointed in 1890. 

Bartholomew Mansfield Young, i)i Cambridge. Born in Sun- 
bury County, X. I'>.. Easter morning, 1848. Appointed in 
1895. 



Deputy Sheriff at Cambridge Jail. 

George Walter dishing, of Cambridge. Horn in Abington, 
Mass.. October !>, 1844. See Deputy Keeper of Jail at 
Cambridge. 

Court Officers. See Acts of 1892, Chap. 107 ; 1895, Chap. 246 ; 
1899, Chap. 423. 

William Ripley Davis, of Cambridge. Born in West Appleton, 
Ale., March 8, L862. Appointed in 1899. 

John Edwin Fan-bairn, of Cambridge. Born in Somerville May 
'.'(i, L875. Appointed in 1903. 

Charles Francis Morse, of Marlborough. Born in Framingham 
January L6, 1832. Appointed Deputy Sheriff in 1873. 

lames Richard Parry, of Somerville. Horn there May 28, LS64. 
Appointed in 1904 as ( Ifficer of the Probate Court. 

George W. W. Saville. of Maiden. See Special Sheriff. Ap- 
pointed in L892. 

Harry E. Shaw, of Lowell. See Deputy Sheriff. Appointed 
in L895. 

[Continued on page 280.1 




BJM YOUNG 



280 ANCIKXT MIDDLESEX. 

Court Officers — (Continued.) 

George F. Stiles, of Lowell. See Deputy Sheriff. Appointed 
in 1899. 

John Edgell Tidd, of Woburn. Born there September 7, L839. 
Appointed April, 1895. 

Arthur Hamilton Wiggin, of Newton. Horn in Chelsea Octo- 
ber 26, 1848. Appointed in 1897. 

Superintendent of County Buildings. 

Frederick George Coker, of Somerville. Born in Alna, Me., 
February ?. 1849. Appointed January 1. 1880. 

Janitor of Lowell Court House. 

Theodore Adams, of Lowell. Lorn there December 5, 1831. 

Appointed March, 1876. 

County Engineer. 

Francis Howe Kendall, of Belmont. Horn there August 23, 
1869. Appointed July 1, 1894. 

Superintendent of County Truant School. 

Moses Alton Warren, of Chelmsford. Horn in Freedom, Me. 
September •">, 1858. Appointed in 1894. 



\ Ml FAT MIDDLESEX. -JS| 

CHRONOLOGICAL ACCOUNT OF MIDDLESEX 
COUNTY. 

A chronological account relating to the establishment, in- 
corporation, etc., of all the cities and towns in Middlesex County, 
with dates when each was first mentioned in Records of the state, 
or therein recorded as established or incorporated, and other in- 
teresting data connected therewith. Compiled from the archives 
and public documents of the Commonwealth as codified and ar- 
ranged by the Commissioner of Public Records. To this matter 
has been added an interesting collection of Corporate Seals now 
in use in the various cities and towns of Middlesex Countv. 

Middlesex County Was Incorporated May 10, 1643. 

Acton — July 3,* 17.'!"), part of Concord, with Willard's Farms. 
April 'is. 1780, part included in the second district of Carlisle. 

Arlington — April 13, 1867, name changed from West Cam- 
bridge. April 30, 1867, the act took effect. 

Ashby — March 6, 1767, parts of Ashburnham, Fitchburg, and 
Townsend. November Hi, 1792, parts of Ashburnham an- 
nexed. March .">, 1829, part of Fitchburg annexed. 

Ashland — March Hi. 1846, parts of Framingham, Holliston, and 
Hopkinton. April 28, 1853, part to be annexed to Hopkin- 
ton when a certain sum is paid by Hopkinton. May 2. 1853, 
the act took effect. 

Ayer — February If, 1871, parts of Groton and Shirley. 

Bedford — September 23,* 1729, parts of Billerica and Concord. 
February 26, 17<>7, part of Billerica annexed. 

Belmont — March is, 1859, parts of Waltham, Watertown, and 
West Cambridge, [anuary 31, 1861, bounds between Bel- 
mont and West Cambridge established. February 25, 1862, 
part of Cambridge annexed and bounds established. April 

The star (*) following' a date signifies that it is Old Style. 

Many of the doings of the court are given in different volumes oi 
the early records under different dates, usually, however, in the same 
year. The earliest date is given in this table. 

Names of cities are printed in small capitals; of extinct cities, 
towns, and districts, in italics. 



282 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 







, % »,^^M.„ 




"'* , •••..t»....•»»»• , ** 




ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 283 

19, isso. part annexed to Cambridge. April 28, 1891, 
bounds between Belmont and Cambridge established and 
part of each place annexed to the other place. May 23, 
1903, bounds between Belmont and Watertown established. 

I.illerica — May 29,* L655, common land. May 14,* 1656, eight 
thousand acres of common land granted to Billerica. May 
15,* 1657, certain lands granted to Billerica. May 26,* 1658, 
bounds between Billerica and Andover established. Ma\ 
22,* 1661, four thousand acres of land granted to Billerica. 
October 10,* 1666, bounds between Billerica and Woburn 
established. October 12,* 1669, bounds between Billerica 
and Woburn established. June 27,* 1701, bounds between 
Billerica and Chelmsford and Concord established. Sep- 
tember 23,* 1 ?".?!•, part included in the new town of Bedford. 
December 17,* 1734, part established as Tewksbury. July 
28,* 1741, bounds between Billerica and Woburn established. 
February 26, 1767, part annexed to Bedford. April 28, 
1780, part included in the second district of Carlisle. 

Boxborough — February 25, 1783, parts of Harvard, Littleton, 
and Stow established as the district of Boxborough. Feb- 
ruary 20, 1794, bounds between Boxborough and Littleton 
established. November 4, 1835, the district made a town by 
chapter 15 of the Revised Statutes. April 30, 1890, bounds 
between Boxborough and Littleton established. 

Brighton — February 24, 1807, part of Cambridge. January 27, 
1816, part of Cambridge annexed. May 21, 1873, Brighton 
annexed to Boston if the act is accepted by both places. 
October 7, 1873, the act accepted by both. January 5, 181 I. 
the act took effect. 

Burlington — February 28, 1799, part of Woburn. January CO. 
1800, part annexed to Lexington. 

Cambridge — September 8,* 1636, the town of Newe Towne. 
May 2,* 1638, name changed to Cambridge. March 13,* 

The star (*) following a date signifies that it i> Old Style. 

Many of the doings of the court are given in different volumes oi 
the early records under different dates, usually, however, in the same 
year. The earliest date is given in this table. 

Names of cities are printed in SMALL CAPITALS; oi extinct cities, 
towns, and districts, in italics, 



28 I 



ANCIENT Ml DDLESEX. 







Cambridge,. 







>fi/W ADISTRfCT *^\? 

| * APRIL I 9,1 7 54 * ) 3 . 

*\** AT9VH * * 3- 



♦*j\ \ FEB. I 8,1 8 5 * 



.>. 



A\ci kxt m iddi, i:sh:\. 



285 



1639, bounds between Cambridge and Watertown estab- 
lished. October 7* Kill, bounds between Cambridge and 
Boston established. November 12,* 1659, one thousand 
acres of land granted to Cambridge. ( )ctober 19,* Kii; I, the 
grant renewed. March 20,* 1713, part established as Lex- 
ington. April 19, 1754, bounds between Cambridge and 
Watertown established. June I, 1755, part annexed to 
Waltham. April 18, 1761, part of Charlestovvn annexed. 
March C 1802, part of Charlestovvn annexed. February 2-1 
18(J7, part established as Brighton. February 27, 1807, part 
established as West Cambridge. January 27, 1816, pari an- 
nexed to Brighton. February 1'-', 1818, part of Charlestovvn 
annexed. June 17, 1820, part of Charlestovvn annexed. 
March 17, 1846, Cambridge incorporated as a city. March 
•"><>, 184(5, act of incorporation accepted by the town. April 
27, 1855, pari of Watertown annexed. April :'><>, 1856, 
bounds between Cambridge and Somerville established and 
part of each place annexed to the other place. February 25, 
1862, parts of Belmont and West Cambridge annexed. Parts 
annexed to Belmont and West Cambridge, and bounds es- 
tablished. April 29, 1862, bounds between Cambridge and 
Somerville established and part of each place annexed to th ■ • 
other place. April l ( -», 1880, part of Belmont annexed. 
.March Id. 1885, part of Watertown annexed. April 28, 
1891, bounds between Cambridge and Belmont established 
and part of each plaCe annexed to the other place. March 
9, 1898, bounds between Cambridge and Watertown estab- 
lished and part of each place annexed to the other. March 
29, 1898, bounds between Cambridge and Boston estab 
lished. 

Carlisle, District of — April 19, 1754, part of Concord. October 
(i, 1756, the district annexed to Concord. 



The -tar (*) following a date signifies that il is Old Style. 
Many of the doings of the court are given in different volumes oi 
the early records under different dates, usually, however, in the ^mn- 

sear. The earliest date is given in this table. 

Names of cities are printed in SMALL capitals; ol extinct cities 
towns, and districts, in italics. 



2 16 A NCI ENT MIDDLESEX. 

Carlisle — April 28, 1780, parts of Acton, Billerica, Chelmsford, 
and Concord established as the district of Carlisle. Septem- 
ber 1"'. 1780, part of the district of Carlisle annexed to Con- 
cord. March 1, 1783, part of the district of Carlisle annexed 
to Chelmsford. February is, L805, the district made a town. 
February 17, L865, part of Chelmsford annexed to Carlisle 
and hounds established. May 23, 1903, hounds between 
( Carlisle and Concord established. 

Charlestown — August 23,* L630, common land. March (>,* 1032, 
bounds between Charlestown and Newe Towne established. 
July 8,* 1635, bounds between Charlestown and Boston es- 
tablished. March 3,* L036, bounds established "eight miles 
into the country from their meeting-house." March 28,* 
1030, bounds between Charlestown and Boston established" 
October 28,* li).)i;, Lovel's Island granted to Charlestown, 
provided they employ it for fishing. May 13,* 1040, certain 
common lands granted to Charlestown. October 7,* 1640, 
certain common lands granted to Charlestown. September 
27,* 1042, part established as Woburn. October 27,* 1048, 
Lovel's Island granted to Charlestown, provided "half the 
timber and firewood shall belong to the garrison at the 
castle." May 2,* 1649, part established as Maiden. No- 
vember 12,* 1059, one thousand acres of land granted to 
Charlestown. October 21,* 1663, certain common lands 
granted to Charlestown. October 19,* 1004, the grant made 
November 12,* 1659, renewed. December 17, * 1725, part 
established as Stoneham. April 19, 1754, part annexed to 
Medford. April IS, 11(4. part annexed to Cambridge 
March (i. 1802, part annexed to Cambridge. June 21, 181 1. 
part of Medford annexed. February hi. IS is, part annexed 
to Cambridge. June IT, 1820, part annexed to Cambridge. 
February 25, 1842, part annexed to West Cambridge. 

The star (*) following a date signifies that it is Old Style. 

Main- of the doings of the court are given in different volumes of 
the early records under different dates, usually, however, in the same 
year. The earliest date is given in this table. 

Names of cities are printed in SMALL CAPITALS; of extinct cities, 
towns, and districts, in italics. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX '.', i 

March 3, L842, part established as Somerville. February 22, 
1847, Charlestown incorporated as a city. March 10, IS47. 
act of incorporation accepted by the town. May I I. Is;:;. 
Charlestown annexed to Boston if the act is accepted 1>\ 
both cities. ( >ctober 7, 1873, act accepted by both. Janu- 
ary 5, ISM. the act took effect. 

( helmsford — .May 29,* 1655, common land. May L4,* L656. 
land granted to Chelmsford. May 31,* 1660, bounds be- 
tween Chelmsford and the Indian plantation at Patuckel 
established. June 27,* L701, hounds between Chelmsford 
and Billerica established. June 13,* 1726, "Wameset" an- 
nexed. September 23,* L729, part established as Westford. 
April "M, 1755, part annexed to Dunstable April 28, L780, 
part included in the second district of Carlisle. March 1, 
IIS.'!, part of the second district of Carlisle annexed. March 
1, 1826, part established as Lowell. February IT. 1865, part 
annexed to Carlisle and hounds established. May IS, LSI I. 
part annexed to Lowell. June 23, L874, act of May IS. is; I, 
accepted by Lowell. August 1, 1874, the act took effect. 

Concord — September 3,* 1635, a plantation at Musketequid. 
August 20,* L638, bounds between Concord, Dedham, and 
Watertown established. May 13,* 1651, hounds between. 
Concord and Watertown established. June 27,* 1701, 
bounds between Concord and Billerica established. April 
12,* 1717, bounds between Concord and Stow established 
September 23,* 1729, part included in the new town of Bed- 
ford, lulv :!, ::: 1735, part included in the new town of Acton. 
April 19,1754, part included in the new town of Lincoln 
April 1!». 1754, part made the first district of Carlisle. ( >cto- 
ber (I, 1756, the first district of Carlisle annexed. April 28, 
LSD, part included in the second district of Carlisle. Sep- 
tember 12, LSI), part of the district cf Carlisle annexed. 

The -tar (*) following a date signifies that it is Old Style. 

Many of the doings of the court are given in different volumes oi 
the early records under different dates, usually, however, in the same 
year. The earliest dale is given in this table. 

Names of cities are printed in smalt, capitals; oi extinct cities, 
towns, and districts, in italics. 



288 



axci ent m i i>i)i.r:si;x. 







^t^^mjr. 





\ Ml I NT Ml ,ESEX. 289 

May 23, L903, hounds between Concord and Carlisle estab- 
lished. 

Dracut— February 26,* 1702, common land. February 28, 1851, 
part annexed to Lowell. May 18, 1874, part annexed to 
Lowell. June 23, 1874, the act accepted by Lowell. August 
1. 1874 tlle act took effect. April 1, 1879, part annexed to 
Lowell. 

Dunstable — ( )ctober 13,* 1(580, common land. January 4,* 1733, 
part established as Nottingham (X. H.). lulv 4, *1735, part 
included in the new town of Litchfield (N. LL). June 8,* 
1747, part of Groton annexed. June 8,* 1747, part of Not- 
tingham annexed. June 7, 1753, part of Groton annexed. 
June 1 I. 1754, part of Nottingham annexed. April 24, 1755, 
part of Chelmsford annexed. June 22, ITS!), part established 
as the district of Tyngsborough. March 3, 1792, part an- 
nexed to the district of Tyngsborough. February 25, 1793, 
part of Groton annexed. January 26, 1796, part of Groton 
annexed. January 29, 1798, bounds between Dunstable and 
the district of Tyngsborough established |une 18, 1803, 
part of Groton annexed. June 10, 1814, bounds between 
Dunstable and Tyngsborough established. February 15, 
1820, bounds between Dunstable and Groton established. 

East Sudbury — April 10, 1780, part of Sudbury. March 11, 1835, 
name changed to Wayland. 

Everett — March 9, 1870, part of Maiden. April 20, 1875, pari 
annexed to Medford. June 11, 1892, Everett incorporate 1 
as a city. July 1!), 1892, act of incorporation accepted by 
the town. 

Framingham — October 13,* 1675, common land. June 25,* 
1700, the plantation of Framingham established as Framing- 
ham. July 5,* 1700, certain common lands annexed. Jul}' 
11,* 1700, part of Sherborn annexed. June ]'■'>,* 1.701, 



The star (*) following a date signifies that it is Old Style. 

Many of the doings of the court are given in different volumes ol 
the early records under different dates, usually, however, in the same 
year. The earliest date is given in this table. 

Names of cities are printed in small capitals; of extinct cities, 
towns, and districts, in italics. 






290 ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

bounds between Framingham and Sudbury established. 
June 1C>,* L710, bounds between Framingham and Sherborn 
established. March 7, 1786, part annexed to Southborough. 
February 23, 1791, part annexed to Marlborough. Febru- 
ary 11, 1833, part of 1 lolliston annexed. March 16, 1846, 
part included in the new town of Ashland. April 22, 1871, 
part of Xatick annexed. 

Groton — May 23,* 1655, the plantation of Petapawag. June 14,* 
1715, bounds between Groton and Nashoba established. 
September 10,* 17:50, part annexed to Westford. June 29,* 
lT:i - i, part included in the new town of Harvard. February 
27,* 1743, bounds between Groton and Littleton established. 
June 8,* 1747, part annexed to Dunstable. January 5, 1753, 
part established as the district of Shirley. April 12, 1753, 
part established as the district of Peppered. June 7, 1 753, 
part annexed to Dunstable. February 2."), 17!t:5, part an- 
nexed to Dunstable. January 26, 1796, part annexed to 
Dunstable. February (>, 1798, part annexed to Shirley. 
February •'!, 1803, part of Peppered annexed. June IS, 1803, 
part annexed to Dunstable. February 15, 1820, bounds be- 
tween Groton and Dunstable established. May IS, 1857. 
part annexed to Peppered. February 14, 1871, part in- 
cluded in the new town of Aver. 

[lolliston — December 3,* 1724, part of Sherborn. April 28, 
1781, part of Hopkinton annexed. March .'!, 1829, part of 
Medway annexed and bounds established. February 11, 
1S33, part annexed to Framingham. March 27, 1835, part 
annexed to Milford and bounds between Holliston, Hopkin- 
ton, and Milford established. March 16, 1846, part included 
in the new town of Ashland. April 1. 1859, bounds between 
Holliston and Milford established. 



The star (*) following a date signifies that it is Old Style. 

Many of the doings of the court are given in different volumes of 
the early records under different dates, usually, however, in the same 
year. The earliest date is given in this table. 

Names of cities are printed in small capitals; of extinct cities, 
towns, and districts, in italics. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 291 

Hopkinton— December 13,* 1715, certain common lands and the 
plantation called Moguncoy. June 14,* 1735, part included 
in the new town of Upton. April 28, 1781, part annexed to 
Holliston. March S, 1808, part annexed to Upton. .March 
27, 1835, part of Milford annexed, part annexed to Milford, 
and bounds between Hopkinton. Holliston, and Milford es- 
tablished. March 1."), l,S4(i, part included in the new town 
of Ashland. April 28, Is:.:;, part of Ashland to lie annexed 
when a certain sum is paid by Hopkinton. May 2, 185:5, 
three hundred dollars paid by Hopkinton and the act in 
effect. 

Hudson — March 19, 1866, parts of Marlborough and Stow. 
March 20, 1868, part of Bolton annexed. 

Lexington — March 20,* 1713, the North Precinct in Cambridge. 
April 19, 1754, part included in the new town of Lincoln. 
January 20, 1800, part of Burlington annexed. February 28, 
1853, bounds between Lexington and Lincoln established. 
April -1. IS!)."), bounds between Lexington and Waltham lo- 
cated and defined. 

Lincoln — April 1!), 1754, parts of Concord, Lexington, and Wes- 
ton. February 28, 1853, bounds between Lincoln and Lex- 
ington established. 

Littleton — December :!, ::: 1715, common land. June 1-1,* 1715, 
bounds between Xashobaf and Groton established. Feb- 
ruary 27,* 174:!, bounds between Littleton and Groton es- 
tablished. February 25, 1783, part included in the new dis- 
trict of Boxborough. February 20, 1794, bounds between 
Littleton and Boxborough established. April :><>, 1890, 
bounds between Littleton and Boxborough established. 

Lowell— March 1, 1826, part of Chelmsford. March 29, 1834, 
part of Tewksbury annexed. April 1, 1836, Lowell incorpo- 






The star (*) following a date signifies that it is Old Style. 

Many of the doings of the court are given in different volumes of 
the early reeords under different dates, usually, however, in the same 
vear. The earliest date is given in this table. 

Names of cities are printed in small CAPITALS; oi extinct cities, 
towns, and districts, in italics. 

f Afterward Littleton. 



'.' ! » 2 



V \ i TEXT MIDDLESEX. 





g 



.ami"*"***** 









3 o ;. — * — i o> £ 

^\ DEC J» /J J 

V£\ *'72* />/ 

k* ;• ~<<f*j* 



"^ty/Mtum" 





ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 293 

rated as a city. April 11, 1836, act of incorporation accepted 
by the town. February 28, 1851, part of Dracut annexed. 
May 18, 1871, parts of Chelmsford and Dracut annexed. 
June 5, 1871, part of Tewksbury annexed, [une 23, 181 I. 
act of May is, 1871, accepted by Lowell. August 1. 1871, 
the act took effect. April 1. 1879, part of Dracut annexed. 
May 17-, 1888, part of Tewksbury annexed. 

Malden— May 2,* 1619, part of Charlestown called Mystic Side 
December 21,* 1731, part of Maiden annexed to Stoneham. 
December is, 1753, bounds between Maiden and Reading- 
established. June 10, 1817, part annexed to Medford. \!a\ 
3, 1850, part established as Melrose. March !). 1870, part es- 
tablished as Everett. April 20, 1877, part of Medford an- 
nexed. February 20, 1878, bounds between Maiden and 
Medford established. March 31, 1881, Maiden incorporated 
as a city. June !». 1881, act of incorporation accepted bv the 
town. 

Maklborough — May 31,* 1660, common land. July 2,* 1700, 
certain common lands granted to Marlborough. November 
16,* 1716, a tract of land called Agaganquamasset confirmed 
to Marlborough. October 25,* 1717, Alcock's Farms 
granted to Marlborough. November 18,* 1717, part estab- 
lished as Westborough. [ulv 6,* 1727, part established as 
Southborough. July 11. 1783, bounds between Marl- 
borough and Stow established. March Hi, 1781, part in- 
cluded in the new district of Berlin. February 23, 1791, part 
of Ffamingham annexed. June 20, 1807, part annexed to 
Northborough and bounds established. February 11, 1829, 
part annexed to Bolton. March 16, 1838, bounds between 
Marlborough and Bolton established. March •.'I. 1813, part 
of Southborough annexed. March 1!», 1866, part included 
in the new town of Hudson. May 23, 1890, Marlborouerh 



The star (*) following a date signifies that ii is < Mil Style. 

Many of the doings of the court are given in different volumes of 
the early records under different dates, usually, however, in the same 
year. The earliest date is given in this table. 

Names of cities are printed in smali i vpitals; of extinct cities, 
towns, and districts, in italics. 






V!)l ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

incorporated as a city. July 14, 1890, act of incorporation 
accepted by the town. May 1(>, 1901, bounds between Marl- 
borough and Southborough established. 

Maynard — April 1!), 1871, parts of Sudbury and Stow. 

Medfoed — September 28,* 1630, common land. April 1!), 1754, 
part of Charlestown annexed to Medford. June 21, 1811, 
part annexed to Charlestown. June 10, 1817, part of Mai- 
den annexed. April 30, 1850, part included in the new town 
of Winchester. April 20, 1875, part of Everett annexed. 
April 20, 1 S 7 7 , part annexed to Maiden. February 20, 1878, 
bounds between Medford and Maiden established. May 31, 
1892, Medford incorporated as a city. ( )ctober •'>, 1892, act 
of incorporation accepted by the town. 

Meleose — May 3, 1850, part of Maiden. March 1.'), 1853, part 
of Stoneham annexed. March 27, IS!)."), bounds between 
Melrose and Stoneham located and defined. March IS, 
1899, Melrose incorporated as a city. May 8, IS!)'.), act of 
incorporation accepted by the town. 

Xatick — October 14,* 1651, Indian plantation at Natick men- 
tioned. May 31,* 1660, bounds of the plantation established. 
April Hi,* 1679, exchange of land made with Sherborn. 
May 30,* 1 < i 7 ! » . the exchange of land with Sherborn ratified 
by the General Court. October 18,* 1701, bounds between 
Xatick and Dedham established. February 23, 17(>v!, the 
parish of Xatick established as the district of Natick. 
February 19, 1781, the district of Xatick made a town. 
June 22, 1707, bounds between Xatick and Needham estab- 
lished and part of each town annexed to the other town. 
February 7, 1820, part of Sherborn annexed. April 26, 
1850, bounds between Xatick and Wayland established 
April 22, 1871, part annexed to Framingham. 



The star (*) following a date signifies that it is Old Style. 

Many of the doings of the court are given in different volumes of 
the early records under different dates, usually, however, in the same 
year. The earliest date is given in this table. 

Names of cities are printed in small capitals; o\ extinct cities, 
towns, and districts, in italics. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



295 









296 AXflKXT MIDDLESEX. 

Newton — December 15,* L691, the town of Cambridge Village, 
sometimes called Little Cambridge. June 21, 1803, an 
island in Charles River annexed. April 23, 1838, part an- 
nexed to Roxbury. April 16, 1849, part annexed to 
Waltham, June 2, is;:?, Newton incorporated as a city. 
( )ctober 13, 1ST:1, act of incorporation accepted by the town. 
May 29, 1874, bounds between Newton and Boston estab- 
lished. May 5, 1875, part of Boston annexed. June 23, 
1875, the act accepted by Newton. July 1. 1875, the act 
took effect. March 2!). 1898, bounds between Newton and 
Boston established. May 13, 1898, bounds between New- 
ton and Boston established. 

Newtowne — July 26,* 1631, common land. March <>,* 1632, 
bounds between "Charles-Towne and Xewtowne" estab- 
lished. April 7,* in: 1 )."), bounds between Xewtowne and 
Watertown, and between Xewtowne and Roxbury estab- 
lished. May 2,* 1638, name changed to Cambridge. 

North Reading — March 22, 1853, part of Reading. May 27, 
1857, bounds between North Reading and Lynnfield estab- 
lished and part of each town annexed to the other town, pro- 
vided the act is accepted by both towns. January 7, 1858, 
the act accepted by North Reading. (Accepted by Lynn- 
field November 3, 1857.) March 12. 1904, bounds between 
North Reading and X'orth Andover established. April 22, 
1904, bounds between North Reading" and Andover estab- 
lished. 

Pepperell — April -12, 1753, the second precinct of Groton made 
the district of 'Pepperell." August 23, 17".~>, the district 
made a town by general act. February 3, 1803, part an- 
nexed to Groton. May is, 1857, part of Groton annexed. 

Reading — May 29,* Kill, part of Lynn. May 29,* 1644, bounds 
between Reading and Woburn established. October 11,* 

The star (*) following' a date signifies that it is Old Style. 

Many of the doings of the court are given in different volumes of 
the early records under different dates, usually, however, in the same 
year. The earliest date is given in this table. 

Names of cities are printed in small CAPITALS; of extinct cities, 
towns, and districts, in italics. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 



■>:>; 









298 A.NCIENT MIDDLESEX. 

1651, land granted to Reading. September 25,* 1730, part 
included in the new town of Wilmington. December 21,* 
1734, part annexed to Stoneham. April 5, L751, bounds be- 
tween Reading and Stoneham established. December 18, 
1753, bounds between Reading and Maiden established. 
February 25, 1812, First or South Parish of Reading estab- 
lished as South Reading. June 16, 1813, part of South 
Reading annexed. March 22, 1853, part established as 
North Reading. April 10, 1854, bounds between Reading 
and Lynnfield established. 

Sherbornf — October 7,* 1<>7F common land. April 16,* 1079, 
exchange of land made with the plantation of Natick. May 
30,* 1679, the exchange ratified by the General Court. May 
17, ::: 1684, the grant of ( )ctober 7,* 1674, and the name Sher- 
borne, then given, confirmed. July 11,* 17(H), part annexed 
to Framingham. June 16,* 17 10, bounds between Sherborn 
and Framingham established. December .'>, 17*24, part es- 
tablished as Holliston. March 3, 1792, bounds between 
Sherburne and Medway established. February 7, 1820, part 
annexed to Natick. May 3, 1852, the name of the town of 
Sherburne [sic] changed to Sherborn. 

Shirley — January 5, 17").'!, part of Groton established as the dis- 
trict of Shirley. August 23, 177."), the district made a town 
by general act. February (i, 17!>S, part of Groton annexed. 
March 3, 1846, bounds between Shirley and Lunenburg es- 
tablished. April 25, 1848, bounds between Shirley and 
Lunenburg established. February IF 1871, part included in 
the new town of Aver. 

Somerville — March 3, 1842, part of Charlestown. April 30, 
1856, bounds between Somerville and Cambridge estab- 
lished and part of each place annexed to the other place. 



The star ( :;: ) following- a date signifies that it is Old Style. 

Many of the doings of the court are given in different volumes of 
the early records tinder different dates, usually, however, in the same 
year. The earliest date is given in this table. 

Names of cities are printed in small capitals; of extinct cities 
towns, and districts, in italics. 

fSee the extinct town of Sherburn. The spelling of the town name 
is given in each instance as found in the records. 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 299 

April 29, 1862, bounds between Somerville and Cambridge 
established and part of each place annexed to the other 
place. April 14, 1871, Somerville incorporated as a city. 
April 27, 1871, act of incorporation accepted by the town. 
May 4, 1891, bounds between Somerville and Boston estab- 
lished. 

South Reading — February 25, 1812, part of Reading. June 16, 
1813, part annexed to Reading. April 5, 1856, part of 
Stoneham annexed. February 25, 1868, name changed to 
Wakefield. June 30, 1868, the act took effect. 

Stoneham— December 1?,* 1725, part of Charlestown. Decem- 
ber 21,* 1734, part of Maiden annexed. December 21,* 
1734, part of Reading annexed. April 5,* 1751, bounds be- 
tween Stoneham and Reading established. March 15, 1853, 
part annexed to Melrose. April 5, 1856, part annexed to 
South Reading. March 13, 1889, part annexed to Wake- 
field. March 27, 1895, bounds between Stoneham and Mel- 
rose located and defined. April 20, 1895, part of Woburn 
annexed to Stoneham. 

Stow — May If.,* 1683, the plantation between Concord and Lan- 
caster called Pompositticut. April 12,* HIT, bounds be- 
tween Stow and Concord established. December 29,* 1730, 
part of Sudbury annexed. June 29,* 1732, part included in 
the new town of Harvard. February 25, ITS;], part included 
in the new town of Hoxborough. July 11, 1783, bounds be- 
tween Stow and Marlborough established. March 1!), 1866, 
part included in the new town of Hudson. April 1!>, 1871, 
part included in the new town of Maynard. 

Sudbury — September 4,* 1639, the new plantation by Concord. 
May 13,* Kilo, land granted to Sudbury. May 2,* 1649, 
land granted to Sudbury. May 13,* 1651, bounds between 
Sudbury and Watertown established. June 13* Fit], 



The star ( ''■' ) following a date signifies that it is Old Style. 

Many of the doings of the court are given in different volumes of 
the early records under different dates, usually, however, in the same 
year. The earliest date is given in this table. 

Names of cities are printed in SMALL CAPITALS; of extinct cities, 
towns, and districts, in italics. 



300 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 









WUKNT MIDDLESEX. 30J 

bounds between Sudbury and Framingham established. 
June 9,* 1721, certain farms annexed. December 29,* 1730, 
part annexed to Stow. April 10, 1780, part established as 
East Sudbury. April 1!), 1871, part included in the new 
town of Maynard. 

Tewksbury — December 17,* 173-1, part of Billerica. March -Jit. 
1834, part annexed to Lowell. June 5, LSI !. pari annexed 
to Lowell. May 17, 1888, part annexed to Lowell. May 
21, 1903, bounds between Tewksbury and Andover estab- 
lished. 

Townsend — June 29,* 1732, the north part of Turkey Hill. 
March <i, 17(57, part included in the new town of Ashby. 

Tyngsborough — June 22, 1789, part of Dunstable established as 
the district of Tyngsborough. March :!, 1792, part of Dun- 
stable annexed to the district of Tyngsborough. January 
2'.), 1 ins. part of Dunstable annexed to the district of Tyngs- 
borough and bounds established. February '.'■">. 1809, the 
district made a town. June in, 1814, bounds between 
Tyngsborough and Dunstable established. 

Wakefield — February 25, 1868, name changed from South Read- 
ing. June 30, 1868, the act took effect. April 2, 1870, 
bounds between Wakefield and Lynnfield established. 
March 1.'!. 1889, part of Stoneham annexed. 

Waltham — January !,* 1738, part of Watertown. June 4, 1755, 
part of Cambridge annexed. April 16, 1849, part of Newton 
annexed. March IS, 1859, part included in the new town of 
Belmont. June 2. 1884, Waltham incorporated as a city. 
July 16, 1884, act of incorporation accepted by the town. 
April I. 1895, bounds between Waltham and Lexington lo- 
cated and defined. 

Watertown— September 7,* 1630, •"the town upon Charles 
River." September 25,* 1634, part of New Towne to revert 

The star (*) following a date signifies that it is < >ld Style. 

Many of the doings of the curt are given in different volumes oi 
the early' record, under different dates, usually, however, in the same 
year. The earliest date is given in this table. 

Names of cities are printed in small capitals; oi extinct cities. 
towns, and districts, in italics. 



102 



AXCIEXT MIDDLESEX. 









ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 111):! 

to Watertown, "if Mr. Hooker and his congregation shall 
remove hence." April 7,* 1635, bounds between Watertown 
and New Towne established. August 20,* 1638, bounds be- 
tween Watertown, Concord, and Dedham established. 
March 13,* L639, bounds between Watertown and Cam- 
bridge established. May 22,* 1639, bounds between Water- 
town and Dedham established. May 13,* 1651, bounds be- 
tween Watertown and Sudbury established. May 13,* 1651, 
bounds between Watertown and Concord established. 
January 1,* 1712, part established as Weston. January 1,* 
1738, part established as Waltham. April 19, 1754, bounds 
between Watertown and Cambridge established. April 27, 
1855, part annexed to Cambridge. March 18, 1859, part 
included in the new town of Belmont. March 10, 1885, part 
annexed to Cambridge. March 9, 1898, bounds between 
Watertown and Cambridge established and part of each 
place annexed to the other. May 23, 1903, bounds between 
Watertown and Belmont established. 

Wayland — March 11, 1835, name changed from East Sudbury. 
April 26, 1850, bounds between Wayland and Natick estab- 
lished. 

West Cambridge — February 27, 1807, part of Cambridge. Febru- 
ary 25, 1842, part of Charlestown annexed. April 30, 1850, 
part included in the new town of Winchester. March IS, 
1859, part included in the new town of Belmont. January 
31, 1861, bounds between West Cambridge and Belmont es- 
tablished. February 25, 1862, part of Cambridge annexed. 
April 13, 1867, name changed to Arlington. April ;'»('. 1867, 
the act took effect. 

Westford— September 23,* 1729, part of Chelmsford. Septem- 
ber 10,* 1730, part of Groton annexed. 

The star (*) following a date signifies that it is Old Style. 

Many of the doings of the court are given in different volumes 01 
the early records under different dates, usually, however, in the sarhe 
year. The earliest date is given in this table. 

Names of cities are printed in small CAPITALS; of extinct cities, 
towns, and districts, in italics. 



:;nl 



ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 







j£$£ES|&kr 



1WEST0N.T 

i INCORPORATED J*f 

4'^ I2-B; "A 




ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 305 

Weston— January 1,* 1713, the West Precinct of Watertown. 
April 1!), 1754, part included in the new town of Lincoln. 

Wilmington— September 25,* 1730, parts of Reading and 
Woburn. 

Winchester— April 30, 1850, parts of Medford, West Cambridge, 
and Woburn. May 12, 1873, part annexed to Woburn. 

Woburn— September 27,* 1642, Charlestowne Village. May 
2!),* 1644, bounds between Woburn and Reading estab- 
lished. October 19,* 1664, two thousand acres of land 
granted to Woburn. October 10,* 1666, bounds between 
Woburn and Billerica established. October 12,* 1669, 
bounds between Woburn and Billerica established. Septem- 
ber 25,* 1730, part included in the new town of Wilmington. 
July 28,* 1741, bounds between Woburn and Billerica es- 
tablished. February 28, 1 TIM), part established as Burling- 
ton. April 30, 1850, part included in the new town of Win- 
chester. May 12, 1873, part of Winchester annexed. Mav 
18, 1SSS, Woburn incorporated as a city. Mav 29, 1888, act 
of incorporation accepted by the town. April 20, 1895, part 
of Woburn annexed to Stoneham. 



The star (*) following a date Signifies that it is Old Style. 

Many of the doings of the court are given in different volumes of 
the early records under different dates, usually, however, in the same 
year. The earliest date is given in this table. 

Names of cities are printed in small capitals; of extinct cities, 
towns, and districts, in italics. 



INDEX OF 



Illustrations, Portraits and Facsimiles of Signatures 



Adams. Hon. Josiah 

Adams. Theodore 

Ambrose. John L. . 

Ames, Hon. Seth 

Andrew. Samuel 

Austin, General Nathaniel. Jr. 

1 laker. Alvah S. 

Baldwin, Colonel Loammi 

Baldwin, Hon. Loammi. Jr. . 

Rancroft, Hugh 

Bancroft, Colonel Jefferson 

Barker, Hon. Ebenezer . 

Bartlett. Samuel 

Buttrick, Stedman 

Beard, Ithamar W. 

Bellingham, Governor Richard 

Bigelow, Abraham 

Bigelow. Hon. Francis . 

Bordman, Hon. Andrew . 

Bradstreet, Governor Simon . 

Bridge, General Ebenezer 

Brooks, Hon. George M. 

Buck; J. H 

Bulkeley, Peter 

Bull, Hon. Ephraim \Y. 

Butler, Hon. Caleb 

Carter. Rev. Thomas. Ordination 

Chandler, Colonel Samuel 

Cheever. David 

Childs, Edwin O. . 

Clark. Alvan .... 

Clark. E. \V 

Coddington, Governor William 

Coker, F. G 

Collins. Hon. Edward J. 
Cooney, Patrick H. . 
Converse, Edward 



of 



Page 
82-83 
. 273 

is bis:, 

172-173 
. 132 

153-154 
. 273 

26, 150 
28-29 

270-271 
. 27.°, 
. 87 

223. 225 

137-138 

234-238 
. 130 

169470 

118-119 
. 207 
. 23 
. 134 

1117, 1!»!) 
. 273 
. 24 
. 41 
60-61 
7 

155, 157 
. 133 

228-229 
. 34 
. 273 

128-129 
. 273 

100-101 

259, 261 
14 



INDEX. 



30? 



County Seal 

Cushing, G. W. 

dishing, Henry G. 

Dana. General Jame 

Dana. Hon. Samuel 

Danforth, Samuel 

Danforth, Thomas 

Davis, Hon. Seth 

Davis, W. R. . 

Day, Stephen 

Dillingham. William C 

Doane, I. I. 

Dudley, Governor Thoma 

Dummer, Hon. Richard 

Dummer, Samuel 

Dunster. Rev. Henry 

Eastman. M. F. 

Eliot. Rev. John (Apostle to I 

Endecott, Governor John 

Esty. Frederick M. . 

Eveleth. C. A. . 

Fairhairn. J. E. 

Fairbairn, John R. . 

Farr, Asa W. 

Fay, Hon. Samuel P. P. 

Fessenden, John 

Fessenden, Nicholas 

Fiske, J. M. 

Fiske, Eben W. 

Fiske, Isaac 

Fletcher, Hon. Timothy 

Folsom, Samuel H. 

Foster, James 

Foxcroft, Daniel 

Foxcroft, Francis 

Foxcroft, Francis, Jr 

Foxcroft. John 

Foxcroft, Rev. Thomas 

French. Hon. Josiah B. 

Frost. Hon. William S. 

Fuller, Hon. Timothy 

Goffe, Edmund 

Goffe, Edward . 

Going, Hon. John K. 

Gould, Hon. Levi S. 



ndian 



Page 

9 

. 273 

162-163 

176-177 

. 24] 

. 192 

. 106 

78-79 

. hi 

184, 186 

. 27:! 

. 23 

. 129 

. 148 

. 46 

. ■!:■■] 

42-43 

. In 
216, 220 



164-16 



193, 


196 




■jut 




204 


160 


-161 


205, 


21 18 


i 

) i ) 


2-73 

•>i •{ 


_ i _ 


-_ i • ) 
2! is 




204 
191 

■)■) i 




__ i 
.)) ) 

204 


84 85 


112 


113 


242 


243 




147 




131 


9 


i 97 


6, 122 


123 



308 



INDEX. 



Glover. Rev. Jose 
Goodrich. John B. . 
Gookin, Major-General Danie 
Gookin, Samuel 
Gookin, Samuel. Jr. 
Graves, Thomas 
Green, John 
Green, Samuel 
Griffin, John Q. A. 
II am. Benjamin F. 
Hammond, Hon. John W. 
Hammond, Laurence 
Harris. Charles N. . 

I larvard, Rev. John 
Harwood, Hon. Harrison 
Hayden. Caleb . 
Hayden. Joseph O. . 
Hildreth, Fisher A. 
Hildreth. General William, Jr 

II olden, Oliver . 
Holden, Oliver, Organ of 
Holmes, Oliver Wendell . 
Holt. Joseph G. 
Homestead of Jacob Gould at 
Hosmer, Major Joseph . 
Hurd, Roger H. 
I lurd. Theodore C. 
Huntington, Hon. Asahel 
Huntress, Hon. Leonard 

Jones. Isaac F. . 
Jones, J. W. 
Johnson, Edward 
Johnson. Marmaduke 
Kendall. F. H. 
Kenny, C. H. . 
Keyes, Hon. John 
Keyes, Hon. John S 
Kimball, Charles 
Kneeland, William 
Lawton, Hon. George F. 
Leighton, Thomas, Jr. 
Leverett, John 
Lexington Common 
Lunt, Hon. Alphonso M 
Lynde, Alonzo V. 



afte 



Sto 



neham 



Page 

. 46 

252-253 

. 47 

. 146 

. 141) 

. 16 

. 145 

. 44 

174-17:. 

177-178 

256, 258 

. 167 

217-218 

. 25 

104-105 

224,226 

142-143 

156-157 

150-151 

. 3<; 

r page 150 

. 35 

264-265 

. 125 

151-152 

188-189 

179-180 

246-247 

94-95 

215, 219 

. 275 

. 17 

. 44 

. 275 

*_! i • » 

135-136 

158, ltd 

159, 161 
. 207 

200-201 
233, 235 
. 191 
54 
114-115 
203, 208 



INDEX. 



309 



Mason, Thaddeus 

McEvoy, George A. 

Mclntire, Hon. Charles J 

McKenna, J. H. 

Mitchellsonn, Edward 

Morse. C. F. . 

Morse, Isaac S. 

Morse, Samuel F. B. 

Moused, John 

Nelson. Hon. Albert H. 

Nowell, Increase 

Nutt, George 

Palmer, Abraham 

Palmer, Walter 

Parker, Hon. Leonard M 

Parry, J. R. 

Perm, James 

Pevey. Gilbert A. A. 

Phillips, Timothy 

Fhinney, Elias . 

Phipps. Samuel 

Phipps, Samuel. Jr. 

Phips. David 

Porter, Rev. Samuel 

Prescott, Alfred A. . 

Prescott, Colonel James 

Prescott, Hon. James 

Prescott, Hon. Oliver 

Preston, Marshall 

Pynchon, Hon. William 

Ramsay, J. P. . 

Reed, Hon. J. Henry 

Remington, Jonathan 

Richards. L. H. 

Richardson. Hon. Daniel S. 

Richardson, Hon. William A 

Rogers, William E. . 

Ruins of Viaduct (Middlesex C 

Rumford. Count of . 

Russell. Daniel 

Russell, James . 

Russell. James, 2d 

Russell, Richard 

Sanderson, George A. 

Sanger. Samuel 



Page 

. 168 
. 237 
198 199 
. 275 
. IF. 



250 


252 




34 

i r 


247 


1 i 

-248 




24 




16 




1." 


i 


4-7."> 




_ 1 * 

1 11 


266 


269 




146 


171 


-172 


168 


203 




Ms 




149 




30 


2i 1! i 


211 




14!» 




196 




195 


1S1 


-182 


L26 


-127 




277 




lull 




192 


90-91 


I'M 


199 


214 


-215 




•*i7 




:\\ 




132 




132 




133 




130 


262 


-263 


, 


30 



310 



INDEX. 



Saville, G. W. W. . 

Sawyer, John James 

Shaw, H. E. 

Sherwin, H. C. . 

Simonds, James 

Smith. Ralph N. 

Sprague. Ralph 

Sprague, Richard 

Sprague, William 

Stearns, Hem. Asahel 

Stedman, John 

Stevens. Charles B. . 

Stevens, George 

Stevens, 1 tenry A. 

Stevens, Hon. William B 

Stiles, G. F. 

Stone, Amos 

Stone, William F. 

Storrow. Nicholas 

Strange, D. T. . 

Swan, Hon. Joshua . 

Swan, Thomas 

Sweetser. lion. Paul H. 

The Governor Cradocfe House (probably oldest hou 

United States built by the English 
The Minute Man 
The Old North Bridge . 
Thompson, Benjamin (Count Rumford 
Thompson, Hon. E. E. 
Thompson, Edward H. 
Thompson. Joseph F. 

Tidd. J. E 

Tolman, B. S. . 

Tower, Hon. Augustus 

Townsend, Hon. David . 

Train. Hon. Charles R. . 

Tucker, S. W. . 

Tuttle. John L. 

Tyler, Joseph H. 

Tyng, William . 

Upham, John 

Upham, Lieutenant Phineas 

Upham. Hon. Samuel O. 

Utley. Dr. E. R. 

Varnum. Hon. Benjamin F. 



se in the 



Page 

. 277 

182-183 



. 32 

187-188 

. 13 

. 13 

. 13 

244-24, r > 

. 131 

226-227 

230-231 
257-258 

. 277 
14(1-141 
. 225 
. 17 
. 277 
88-89 
. 203 
98-99 

. 5<i 
. 53 
. 54 
27, .".1 
. 277 

230,232 

239-240 
. 277 
. 277 
64 65 
70-71 

249, 251 
. 279 
. 135 

•21(1-21 : 
. 130 
. 117 
. 117 

11(1-117 
. 271t 
68-69 



iM)i:\. 



311 



Waitt, Hon. Joseph H. 
Walford, Thomas 
Walker, Rev. Robert 
Walsh, W. II. . 
Walton, Hon. Daniel G. 
Wardwell, W. C. . 
Warren, M. A. . 
Wayside Inn, Sudbury 
Wier, Frederiek N. 
Wheeler, Hon. Abner 
Whitman, C. G. 
Whistler, James A. (McNeill 
Wiggin. A. H. . 
Willard, R. 
Willard, Simon . 
Winslow, Henry H. 
Winthrop, Hon. James 
Winthrop, Governor John 
Winthrop, Hon. John 
Winthrop, William . 
Wright, Asahel B. . 
Young, B. M. . 



Page 

102-10;? 
. 1.") 

. 270 

'.'7: i 

106 10] 

27!) 

. 279 

. 5-1 

260-261 

liii-ii7 

. 279 

38 

. 271) 

. -.'7H 

. 2 i 

267-2(5!? 

202, 207 

8, 9 

190, 195 

222 

234,236 

. 279 



Seal of 



Acton 

Arlington 

Ashby 

Ashland 

Ayer 

Bedford 

Belmont 

Billerica 

Boxborou^ 

Burlington 

Cambridge 

Carlisle 

Chelmsford 

Concord 

Dracut 

Dunstable 

Everett 

Framingham 

Groton 

Holliston 



282 

282 
282 
282 

282 
282 
284 
28 I 
28 1 
_'• 1 
284 
28 i 
288 
288 
288 
!86 
288 

■_'Sv 

292 



312 



INDEX. 



Hopkinton 

Hudson 

Lexington 

Lincoln 

Littleton 

Lowell 

Maiden 

Marlborough 

Maynard 

Medford 

Melrose 

Natick 

Newton 

North Readinj 

Peppered 

Reading 

Sherborn 

Shirley 

Somerville 

Stoneham 

Stow 

Sudbury 

Tewksbury 

Townsend 

Tyngsboro 

Wakefield 

Waltham 

Watertown 

Wayland 

Westford 

Weston 

Wilmington 

Winchester 

Woburn 



Page 
292 
292 
292 
292 
295 
295 
295 
295 
295 
295 
297 
297 
297 
2! 17 
297 
297 
300 
300 
300 
300 
."Jin 
300 
302 
302 
302 
302 
302 
302 
304 
304 
304 
304 
304 
304 



College Graduates 



Amherst 






. 17:, 


261 


Brown University 






. 182, 215 


251 


Dartmouth 




. 62, 


7:,. 135,211,212.255 


258 


Harvard 






. 29, 83, 




92, 132, 134, 


135, 147. 149, 161, 


163, 16 


>, 172, 191, 192, 




195, 196, 199, 


203, 204. 207, 208, 221, 


222. 23 r 


". 242, 24-'). 247. 269, 


271 


Trinity Hartford 






. 215 


274 










258 



INDEX. 



31: 



Union, Schenectady, N. V 
Williams .... 
Vale . 



Amherst 

Brown University 

Dartmouth 

Harvard 

Trinity, Hartford 

Tufts 

Union. Schenectady, N. Y 

Williams 

Yale . 



Page 

. 179 

200, 229 

247, 263 

Total 
■ ) 

3 



General Index 

Abbott, John 

Abolition of Slavery in District of Columb 

Aborn, Elizabeth J. . 

Adams, Henry .... 

Adams, President John Quincy 

Adams, Hon. Josiah 

Adams, Rev. Moses . 

Adams. Lieutenant-Governor Samuel 

Adams Square .... 

Adams. Theodore 

Adelphi Society of Arts, The . 

Ahasueras Council, Lowell 

Albany ..... 

Aldersey, Samuel 

Ale wife Brook 

Allen English and Classical School. Newton, The 

Allen, Rev. Thomas 

Allin, Rev. John 

Allston, Washington 

Ambrose, John L. . 

America, Hymn of . 

American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The 

American Library Association. The 

American Society of Arts and Sciences 

Ames. Hon. Seth .... 

Amherst College .... 

Andover 



59 



Page 

137 

77 

109 

83 

56 

82-83 

83 

69 

130 

3, 280 

35 

91 

9 

127 

61 

261 



29- 



30,35 
184-185 
80 
31 

ti 

I!'", 

173 

». 261 
••11 



314 



INDEX. 



Andre, Major ..... 

Andrew, Samuel .... 

Andros, Governor .... 

Anti-Masonic Party 

Antietam, Battle of . 

Apostle of the Indians of North Amei 

Apostle of Temperance in North Ann 

Appleton. Major 

Arbella, Ship 

Arnold, James, the Whaler 

A: hland, Town of 

Assistant Clerks of Courts 

Assistant District Attorneys 

Assistant Registers of Deeds, Southern 

Assistant Registers, Probate and Insol 

Atlantic Ocean 

Aurora, Ship .... 

Austin, General Nathaniel. Jr. 

Autocrat of the Breakfast Table. The 

Baker, A. S 

Baldwin Apple, The 

Baldwin. Colonel Loammi 

Baldwin. Loammi, Jr. 

Bancroft. The Historian 

Bancroft, Hugh 

Bancroft. Colonel Jefferson 

Bancroft, Major-General William A. 

Banks, Governor Nathaniel P 

Barker. Hon. Ebenezer . 

Barker. Josiah . 

Barker, Josiah H. 

Barker. Penelope H. 

Barron, Colonel William 

Bartlett, Anne H. 

Bartlett, Captain Roger . 

Bartlett, Samuel 

Bavaria, Elector of. The . 

Bavaria, King of. The 

Beadle. The 

Beard. Hon. Ithamar W. 

Beard. Rev. Ithamar W. 

Becker's School 

Belcher. Dorcas 

Belcher, Governor 

Belcher. Jeremiah 



ca 

ca 



14. 145, 1 



(i. 14 



Page 
105 
132 
191 
137 



Dist 
enc) 



net 



Kl-1] 



4:1 
49 
19 
1. 144 
267 
49 
182 
265 
230 
215 
9 
87 
153-154 
35 
T3-274 
26, 37 
26, 150-151 



28, 



29,87 
148 
271 
273 
271 

ll!l 

86, 87 

87 
87 



215 

22u 

225 

23, 225 

32 

31 

144 

234 

234,238 

188 

12 J 

169 

125 



INDEX. 



315 



Bellingham, Governor Richard 

Bemis, Seth .... 

Bible, First Printed in Ameri 

Bigelow, Hon. Abijah 

Bigelow, Abraham 

Bigelow, Rev. Andrew, D. D. 

Bigelow. Charles 

Bigelow. Hon. Francis . 

Bigelow. Dr. Jacob . 

Bigelow, Hon. John P. 

Bigelow, Rebecca B. 

Bigelow, Hon. Timothy . 

Biglo, John 

Biglo. Mary Warren 

Bird Tavern, The 

Blessing of the Bay. Sloop 

Bolles, Professor Frank . 

Bolton, Charles K. . 

Book of Possessions. 1638, The 

Bordman, Andrew. Jr. 

Bordman, Hon. Andrew . 

Boston .... 

Boston & Albany Railroad 

Boston Athenaeum 

Boston and Charlestown Toll Brid 

Boston & Lowell Railroad. The 

Boston & Providence Railroad 

Boston Public Library 

Boston University 

Boston and Worcester Turnpike 

Boutwell, Governor George S. 

Boylston School of Boston 

Bradstreet. Simon 

Bratcher, Austin 

Bray. Major 

Bray & Boyd . 

Bridge. Adjutant-General Ebenezer 

Bridge at Billerica, The 

Bridge, Rev. Ebenezer 

Bright. Rev. Francis 

^ Brooks, Hon. George M 

Brooks. Colonel John 
Brown, John 
Brown University 
Browneing. Thomas 



Page 
19, L30 

. 80 

. 4-1 

7") 

. 169-170 

65 

. 11!) 

59, L18-119 
. 30 
. 65 
. lly 
29, 135,241, 242 
. 120, 169 
. 120, 169 
. 71 
55 
. 89 
6 
55 
. 207 
. 207 
. 11-1l>, 38 

6 

77 

. 38 





261 


. 263 
69 


63, 


157 


.■_'.') 1 

ltil 


23, 


129 


1(17 

16 

153 

87 

134 

124 

134 

17 


197, 


199, 


216 




67, 


153 
139 


182, 


215, 


25 1 

1" 



316 



INDEX. 



Buchanan, President . 

Buck, J. H. . . 

Buffalo 

Bulkeley, Peter 

Bull. Hon. Ephraim \Y. 

Bunker Hill. Battle of 

Hunker Hill Monument 

Burglary, Punishment in 

Burgoyne. General 

Burns, Captain Company of Minute M 

Bushell, Ruth . 

Butler, Governor B. F, 

Butler. Hon. Caleb . 

Butler, Rebecca Frost 

Buttrick, Major John 

Buttrick. Stedman 

California 

Calkins, Grosvenor . 

Cambridge 

Cambridge Common. The (executions there 

Cambridge Train Band 

Cape Ann . 

Cape Cod . 

Carter, Rev. Thomas 

Chambre. Rev. A. St. John 

Chandler, Colonel Samuel 

Chandler, Thayer & Hudson 

Channing, Rev. William E. 

Chapel of Good Shepherd (Blackweli's Is 

Charles Frederick, Elector of Bavaria 

Charles River ..... 

Charlestown ..... 

Charlestown Five Cents Savings Bank 

Charlestown Light Infantry . 

Charlestown Train Band 

Chauncey. Dr. . 

Cheever. David 

Chelmsford 

Chelmsford, East 

Chicago 

Childs, Edwin O. 

Choate, Rufus . 

Chronological Account of Middlesex County 

Cider in Colonial Times . 

Cider Mill. First in Colonv 



8l i 



n) 



Page 
. 157 

. 278. 276 
!» 
. 24 
87,41 
52, 188, 184. 179 
8.-), 63 
. in 
. 8!» 
. in:. 
. 145 
93, 17:., -_>;,i 
58,59, 60, id. 75 
. til 
. 187 
. 187. 18S 
!• 
. 217 
12. 44, 47, 56, 57 
. 56 
. 47 
. ID 
. HI 



155 



12. 



18. r, 



8!' 

157 

. 267 

. 242 

. 28,7 

. 82 

.9,21 

»7, 73, 75 

109, 141 

. 177 

14 

. 148 

. 133 

. 40 

. 34 

9 

22S. 229 

. 247 

281-305 

. 21 

. 31 



INDEX. 



311 



untv 



Cincinnati. Society of 

Circuit Court of Common Picas 

Cities and Towns. Middlesex County. 

Clark, Alvan 

Clark, E. W. 

Clemence, William . 

Clerks of Court, Middlesex C 

Cobb, Moses G. 

Cobb's Battery . 

Cobnrn, Captain 

Coddington, William 

Coe, Captain F. W. 

Coffee in Colonial Times 

Coker, F. G. 

Collins. Edward J. . 

Collins, Hannah J. 

Collins, Matthias. Est. 2d, 3d 

Commissioners of Highways of Middle 

Commissioner of Public R 

Concord Bank . 

Concord. Battle of 

Concord Grape. The 

Concord River 

Concord, Town of 

Congressional Medal of Hono 

Constitution Wharf, Boston 

Converse. Deacon Edward 

Cooney, Patrick H. 

Corinthian Lodge oi Masons. Com 

Coronation Hymn. The . 

Corporate Seals. Cities, and 1 

Cotton, Rev. John 

County Attorneys 

County Buildings at Charlestown, The 

County Commissioners 

County Commissioners. Chairmen oi 

County Court House, The First 

County Engineer 

County Prison. Keeper of 

County Recorder's Salary 

County Seal 

Court of Assistants . 

Court of Claims, United States 

Court Houses .... 

Court Officers .... 



Paj 



Mi 



cor J 



ex C 



ddle 



First 



oration. 



unity 



x C 



unit 



17! i 



281-305 


. i\ 


. 273, 276 


. lit 


. 166 


. 177 


. 177 


128, 129 


. 40 


. 20 


273, 280 


!». 100, 101 


. 101 


. 101 


58, (il 


. 281 


. 137 




.".7 


. 4!) 


,37,49,57 


. 117 


55 


13, 14 


. 135 


. 36 


281-305 



58, 



24 1 

22 

59, (il 

59 

22 

280 
19 
Mi 



199 

21.22 

272-27S 



318 



IXDEX. 



Court of Sessions. The 

Court Stenographer, Chief Official 

Cowley. Charles 

Cox, Captain Unite . 

Cradock Farm. The . 

Cradock House (Oldest in United 

Crane. Governor 

Crawford, Hon. William H. . 

Cromwell, Oliver 

Cushing, G. W. 

Cushing, Henry G. . 

Czar of Russia .... 

Dakin, Captain Nicholas 

Dallinger, Hon. Fred W. 

Dana, General James 

Dana, Hon. Samuel 

Danforth, Rev. Nicholas . 

Danforth, Hon. Samuel . 

Danforth Deputy-Governor Thorn 

Dartmouth College . 

Davis, Betsey F. . . . 

Davis. Hon. Seth 

Davis. Timothy 

Davis. W. R 

Davis, William T. . 

Day Press, The 

Day, Stephen .... 

Dedham 

Deputy Masters, Camhridge Jail 
Deputy Masters, House of Correcti 
Deputy Sheriffs 

Detroit 

De Warren, William 
Dillingham, William C. . 
District Attorneys 
Division of County, Proposed 
Divorce, First Suit in Middlesex 

Doane, I. I 

Donallon, Deacon John W. 
Dorchester .... 

Dover 

Dracut, Town of 

Drake, Samuel A. 

Dubuque ..... 

Dudley, Thomas 



Statt 



It by 



Em 



lishi 



4!». 



55, 1 
62, 



Page 

57 

. 274 

6 

. 55 

. lo 

len) . 54 

. 217 

. 7(i 

. 48 

272. 273, 278 

1(12. 163, 165 

. 38 

. 65 

. 271 

17ii, 177 

177.241.242 

. Kid 

. 1!>2. 2( >7 

1,166, 192,221 

5, 135,211,212 

. 7!) 

59, 76, 78, 79 

7!) 

. 273. 278 

5 

. 45 

. 46 

. 56 

. 272 

. 272 

272. 276, 27S 

9 

. 121 

. 184, 186 

. 247 

22, 23 

l!l 

. 273. 274 

. 215 

. 12 

!> 

. 69 

5 

9 

. 23, 12!) 



INDEX. 



S19 



Dudley, Governor Thomas 

Dummer Academy 

Dummer, Elizabeth Ruggle 

Dummer, Jeremiah . 

Dummer, Jeremiah. Jr. 

Dummer, Riehard 

Dummer, Samuel 

Dummer. Acting Governor \\ 

Dunkirk. 

Dunster, Rev. Henry 

Dying Hercules, The 

Edes Mansion. The . 

Eagle of the Sea 

Eames, Millicent 

Eastman, M. F. 

Edson, Rev. D. 

Eighth N. H. Volunteers 

Electric Telegraph 

Electro-Magnetism 

Eliot, Bennett 

Eliot. Francis 

Eliot. Rev. John . 7. Ml. 

Eliot, Rachel (Poulter) 

Eliot Memorial Church. I 

Emerson, Ralph Waldo 

Endecott, John 

Esty, Hon. C. C. 

Esty, Frederick M. . 

Essex-shire 

Everett. Hon. Edward 

Exeter 

Eveleth, C. A. . 

Fairbairn, John 

Fairbairn, John E. . 

Fairbairn, John R. . 

Fairfield 

Falls. Mary A. 

Farmer's Almanac 

Farr, Lieutenant Asa W 

Fay, Hon. Samuel P. P. 

Fessenden. John 

Fessenden, Nicholas. 1st 

Fessenden. Nicholas, 2d 

Fessenden. Hon. William P. 

First Baptist Church, Lowe! 



illia 



43, 44. 45, 



46, 1 



51, 



<H. 1 



Page 

11.. v, 

. 129 

. 148 

129, 1 18 

129, 14S 

. 129 

129, 148 

129, 148 

9 

7. 46, 131 

. 35 

. 3 1 



273, 


14 


_ in 

39 




L63 




35 




35 




125 




125 


1. L46, 


167 




E J :. 




50 


23, 


242 


in. 12 


179, 


216 


-'hi. 


'_'•_'! 1 




23 


l'7:>. 


9 

276 




165 


_'7:> 


278 


1. 165 


272 
17 




113 




215 

■ > \ i 


L93 


_•> i 
196 




204 




204 




201 




204 




23 1 



320 



INDEX. 



First Baptist Church, Newton 

First Church, Boston 

First Church, Charlestown 

hirst County Buildings at Charlestown 

First County Court House 

First Printer in British North America 

First Printing Press in British North America 

First Temperance Organization in New England 

Fisk, J. M. . . 

Fiske, Eben W. 

Fiske, Isaac 

Fiske, John M. 

Fletcher, Peletiah 

Fletcher, Sally W. . 

Fletcher, Timothy 

Folsom, Samuel H. . 

Fort Laramie 

Forty-second Regiment. Scotch Highlandc 

Forty-fifth Massachusetts Regiment 

Foster, James 

Foster, Hon. Richard 

Fourth of July. 1631 . 

Fox Grape, The 

Foxcroft. Daniel 

Foxcroft, Mayor Daniel 

Foxcroft, Elizabeth 

Foxcroft, Francis, 1st 

Foxcroft, Francis. Jr. 

Foxcroft, John 

Foxcroft, Rev. Thomas 

Framlingham, England 

Framingham, Town of 

Francis, Mrs. J. B. . 

Francis, Mrs. S. W. 

Freeman's Oath, The 

French Camp, Cal. . 

French. Josiah B. 

French, Luther 

French. Sally B. 

Frontispiece — New County Seal. 

Frost, Aaron 

Frost, Rosetta K. 

Frost, William S. 

Fuller, Sarah Margaret 



10. 1 





Page 




80 




■Jill 




35 




22 




22 




46 




46 




80 

•>7\ 


160, 16 


J 1 •) 

1. 163 


. 20 


5, 208 


. 16 


5, 272 




73 




73 


59, 72, 


73, 76 


1, 212, 213, 216 




165 




17') 




208 




149 




55 




37 


. 1!) 


_'. 204 




191 




192 


191,204,221 


i, 207, 22 

1 1 1-> ■)■> 


1, 222 
1 ■>■)■> 


. 1!) 


i , _ _ ... 
2, 204 


. 48, 166 




39 




40 




46 




211 




59,85 




85 




85 




113 




113 


59, 11 


2, 113 



INDEX. 



32 1 



Fuller. Hon. Timothy 

Gannett, Caleb .... 
General Court. The . 

George. Colonel John H. 

Georges, Robert 

Gibson, John .... 

Glover, Rev. Jose 

Goble, Daniel .... 

Goble, Stephen 

Goffe and Whalley Regicides, The 

Goffe, Colonel Edmund . 

Goffe, Edward .... 

Going, John K.. Jr. 

Going, John Kendall 

Going, Mary F. 

Golden Rule Lodge Masons. Wakefield 

Goodrich. Deacon David 

Goodrich. John B. . 

Goodrich, William . 

Gookin, Rev. Daniel. Jr. . 
Gookin, Major-General Daniel 
Gookin. Captain David 
Gookin. Captain Samuel 
Gookin, Samuel. Jr. 
Gordon. General .... 
Gould, Daniel ..... 
Gould. Elizabeth Webb Whitmore 
Gould, Hannah Hill . 

Gould. Jacob 

Gould, John ..... 
Gould. Dr. Levi .... 

■ Gould. Levi S. . 
Governor and Company of tin 

England .... 
Governor and Company of the 

England. Treasurer of . 
Grand Lodge of Masons . 
Grand Masters of Masons 
Gravesend, County of Kent, England 
Graves, Thomas .... 

Great House. The .... 
Great Swamp Fight. The 
Greeley, Horace .... 

Green. John ..... 
Green. Percival .... 



Mas 

Mas 



31, 14.47, 49,51 



6, 39, 10 



chusetts Bay 
husetts Bay 



51. 



14 



59, i 

New- 
New 



Page 

242,243 

. 24 

12, in, i:, 

. I'll! I 

10, 15 
. 2(17 
hi. L3J 
. 51 
51 
. 48 
. 147 
. 131 
59, 96, 97 
. 97 



Hi! 



252, 2:,:! 



• >•) 



63. 



. 31 

, 146, 167 

19 

, 14(i, 147 

146, 147 

. 251 

. 125 

. 123 

. 12:, 

124. 125 

. 124 

. 123 

122. 123 

io, :e 



161, 251 

63, 196 

15 

15, 16 

. 16 
. 1 25 
. 1 13 
. 1 to 

. 11') 



;;?2 



lNPKX. 



Green, Samuel . 

( .recti. Dr. Samuel A. 

< rreene, William C. . 

Greenhalge, Governor 

Griffin, John Q. A. . 

Groton Academy 

Groton, Town of 

Gundred 

Hale. Moses Estate 

1 lam. Benjamin F. 

Hammond, Hon. John W 

Hammond, Captain Laur 

Hampton 

Hardy. Daniel 

I [arris, Charles N. . 

Harvard, Rev. John 

Harvard College 

14. 24, 25, 29, 30, 31, 46 

134. 135, 147, 149, 161, 167, 168, 169, 1 

196, l'i!». 203, 204, 207, 2<>8. 211, 221 

Harvard College Library 

Harvard Law School 

Harvard School. Charlestown 

1 larwiiod, Anna B. 

Harwood, George W 

Harwood, Harrison 

Harwood, Peter 

Haskell. Captain 

Haverhill . 

Hawthorne, Nathaniel 

Hayden, Caleb . 

Hayden, Daniel 

Hayden. Hon. Edward D 

I tayden, Joseph O. 

Hayden, Nancy D. 

I I eads i >t 1 )epartmen 

I [eald, Thomas 

Higginson 

i [ildn th. Fisher A. 

Hildreth. Richard 

Hildreth, William 

Hildreth, General William 

Hill, Hannah . 

Hill, James 

Hingham 



I 1 
179, 

37, 24 



II, 

24. 



Page 

44, 45, 55 

(i, 29, 145 

. 134 

. 217 

174. 175 

75. 175, 195, 245 

49,61, 63, 73, 75 

. 121 

. 89 

7, 178, 184, 212 

. 256, 258 

. 1(17.221 

9 

. 62 

. 217,218 

. 25 

6, 7, 

132, 

195, 



31, 

1!>2, 



61, li 



247. 269, 271 
6 
217 
99 
105 
105 
|4, 105, 113 
. 105 
75 
9 
23. 242 
224. 22(1 
. 226 
224. 22ii 
142. 143 
. 22(1 
. 272 
. 83 
. 16 
L57 
153 
153 
151 
125 
125 
14 



156 



INDEX. 



323 



Hiram Lodge of Masons. L 
Hoar, Hon. Samuel . 
Hoare, Daniel 
Hoare. John 
Holden. Oliver . 
Holmes. Oliver Wendell 
Holt. Caroline S. G. 
Holt. Joseph G. 
Holt. Nicholas . 
Holt. Varnnm S. 
Hooker. General 
Hooker. Rev. Thomas 
Hooker. Zibeon 
Hosmer, Major Joseph 
Hovey. Mr. 
Howe, Elias 
Howton, Elizabeth . 
Hoyte. Simon 
Huntington. Hon. Asahel 
I luntress, Joseph 
Huntress, Leonard 
I Inn tress. Sally C. 
Ilurd. Roger H. 
Hurd, Theodore C. . 

Hurd. William 

« 

Hutchinson, Ann 

Idaho .... 

Illinois .... 

Indian Bible (Eliot's), The 
Indian Grammar 
Indian Historian 
Indians, Praying, The 
Indians, Submissive . 
Indians, Submissive. Superinte 
Iowa ..... 
Jaekson, President Andrew 
Jackson, Edward 
Jackson. Colonel Ephraim 
Jackson, Colonel Michael 
Jackson. Sebas . 
James Arnold, Ship . 
Janitor of Lowell Court House 
Jesus College, Cambridge. Em 
Johnson, Captain 
Johnson, Edward 



exington 



94, 



7!). 180, 1 



84, 1 



ss. 



31, 



i. is. 



dent 



land 



Page 
. 157 
. 135 

•"in. 51 
50,51 

:;i; 
. 35 
. 265 
2G4, 2fi5 
. 265 
. 265 
. 24(» 
. L'tiT 
. 179 
. 152 
. 37 
. 33 
. 56 

17 
246, 247 

110, 251 

95 

. 188 

212, 265 
. 179 
. 12! i 

!l 

!> 

44. 4:». 46 

. 46 

. 44 

4! I. -Vi. 51 

:>l 

50 

!) 



101 

2(17 
280 

1.", 

117 

". 17 



324 



INDEX. 



Johnson, Marmaduke 

Jones. Isaac F. .... 

Jones, J. W 

Jones, Olive .... 
Jones. Sarah H. W. . 
Judges of Probate and Insolvency 
Kalamazoo .... 

Keeper of Cambridge Jail 
Kendall. Id on. Amos 

Kendall. F. H 

Kendall's Tavern, Samuel 

Kenney, C. F. . 

Keyes, Hon. John 

Keyes, Hon. John S. 

Kidder, Ensign James 

Kilwinning Lodge oi Masons, bow 

Kimball. Charles 

King Charles I. ... 

King George III. 

King Philip 

King Solomon's Lodge oi Chariest 
King's Chapel Burying Ground 
Kneeland. William . 
Knights of Illustrious Orders of the Wh't 

Stanislaus 
Knowles. Rev. John, of Watertown 
Knowlton, Rosetta . 
Ku-Klux Klan of the South . 
Lafayette, General De 
bake Erie ..... 
bake Saint Clair 

bane. Job 

bane. Major John 
Lane, Mary .... 
1 .aiie. William C. 
Lawrence Academy. Groton 
Lawrence, Abbott 
Lawrence, Hon. Luther . 
Lawton, Hon. George F. 
Leighton, Thomas. Jr. 
Leominster, Town ot 
Leonard, Colonel 
Leveret t. Ibm. John 
Lexington, Battle of. The 
Lexington Common I ill.) 



M. 1 



E; 



1, 1 



nd Saint 



F 


age 


44. 45 


. 215, 

•>7 > 


•_'l!l 

97fi 


— 1 * >! 


_ I u 

89 




215 




191 









272 




65 


. -_'75, 


281 i 




id 

07 1 


135, 136, 


ud 


. 158, 


161 




21 ii i 




2l ii i 


15!*, bib 


163 




11 




32 


7, 124, 125, 


2l ii i 




37 




130 




■Jn7 



31 

7 

113 

48 

63 

!» 

9 

124 

4. 125 

124 

ii 

3, 265 

(15 

62 

i. l'ii] 

75 

Hi5 

1!U 

•7_', 55, 56 
. 54 



12 



237,26 



2l ii 
23 



IXDKX. 



325 



Lincoln, Brigadier-General Danie 

Lincoln, Governor Levi 

Lincoln, Martha 

Linn Village 

Lion. Ship 

I -ion's Whelp. Ship 

Littleton 

Littleton. Selectmen of 

Locke. Rev. Samuel 

Locks and Canals Company, I 

London Royal Academy. The 

London Royal Society, The 

London Society for Propagating tl 

Long, Governor John D. 

Longfellow, Henry \Y. 
Lowell Courier. The 
Lowell Jail. The 

Lowell, James Russell 

Lowell Machine Shop 

Lowell Manufacturing Company 

Lowell Mercury, The 

Lowell & Nashua Railroad Compa 

Lowell, Town of 

Lunt, Alphonso M. 

Lunt, Dr. Moses Dole 

Lunt. Susan L. . 

Lynde, Alonzo V. 

Lynn ..... 

Mackintire, Ezra 

Mackintire, Philip 

Madison, President . 

Maiden 

Maiden, North .... 

Manual of Business Corporation L 

Marble Harbor 

Marlborough .... 

Marshall, J. M. ... 

Marshal-General 

Martin, Mike .... 

Marline. John .... 

Mason, N. H., Town of . 

Mason, Captain Hugh 

Mason. Thaddeus 

Masons, Anti .... 

Masons. Grand Master of 



in Ni 



Ens 



md 



M; 



rhusetts 



<:'., 'i 



Pa ■. 
79 
7">. 77 
7!) 
51 
43 
17 

I! I 

24 
30 
38 
35 

I!!.', 

45 

110 

24 

234 

, 97 

24 

89 

92 

95 

■ 

38, 49 

39, 11 1. 115 

. 115 

. 115 

206. -U^ 

. 12 

. 200 

. 200 

. 79 

. 13 

. L23 

. 217 

. Li 

. 49 

. 26J 

. 141 

7:,. L53 
I , ; ; 

7:> 

168, 222 

. 137 

63 



•).) 



* ) , V v J 



INDEX. 



Massachusetts Bay in New England. Governor and Company of 

Massachusetts Historical Society . 

Massachusetts Medical Society 

Massachusetts Teachers' Association 

Massachusetts Society Colonial Wars 

Massachusetts Digest 

Massachusetts Statutory Citations 

Massachusetts Teacher. The . 

Master of House of Correction 

Mather, Rev. Richard 

McEvoy, George A. 

Mclntire, Hon. Charles J. 

Mclntire, Ebenezer 

McKenna. J. H. . . . 

McLean Asylum 

Mechanics' Association. The . 

Medal of Honor. Congressional 

Medford 

Medford Turnpike 

Medley. Rev. Mr. 

Meech. John .... 

Melrose ... 

Memorial Rotunda. State House 

Merrimac River, The 

Mexican War .... 

Michigan 

Middlesex Canal 

Middlesex County. Historic Glory and Must 

Middlesex County. Sheriffs of 

Middlesex County. Treasurers of 

Middlesex Mutual Fire Insurance Com] 

Middlesex Savings Institution 

Middlesex-shire 

Mill Dam Corporation 

Miller's River 

Minute Man. Statue of 

Mishawum 

Mishawum and Shawmut 

Misticke Bridge 

Mitchellsonn, Edward 

Mitchellsonn, Ruth Bushell 

Mohican Dialect, The 

Monadnock Mountain 

Monitor Lodge Masons, Waltham 

Monument National Bank 



Page 
8, 10, 16 
207, 208 
195 
99 
5, 200 
217 
217 
99 

070 



237 

18, 199, 265 

200 

5, 276 



247 
89 

117 



36 

17 

14,55 

. 43 

9, 49, 50 

. 182 

9 

29, 57 

21,56-57 

. 146 

. 131 

. 137 

. 137 

9 

. 137 

. til 

. 53 

. 12 

. 10 

. 1!) 

. 145 

. 145 

. 44 

55 

91, 119 

. 141 



INDEX. 



32"! 



Morse, C. F. 

Morse. Isaac S. 

Morse, Rev. Jedediah 

Morse. Samuel F. B. 

Moscow ..... 

Moses Hale Estate . 

Mountfort, Anna 

Mount Horeb, R. A., Chapter, Lm 

Mount Vernon Lodge Masons, I\] 

Mousell, John 

Mystic River 

Nantasket 

Natick Indians 

Natick, Town o 

"Native American" Party 

Nazing, England 

Nebraska .... 

Nelson, Hon. Albert H. . 

Nestuan, Job .... 

Nevada ..... 

New College .... 

New England Historic Genealogic 

New Hampshire 

New Ipswich Academy . 
Newe Towne .... 

Newton, City of 

Newton, Town of 

New York City Home for Aged and 

New York State 

Nicholas, Ship . 

Nims' Battery . 

Nixon's Brigade, General 

Nonantum 

Norfolk-shire 

Norris, Moses . 

Norsemen, The 

North Bridge, Concord (ill.) 

North Maiden . 

Nowell, Increase 

Nutt, George 

Old Ironsides 

Old State House, Boston 

Old South Meeting House 

Oregon .... 

Ossoli, Marchioness De . 



In 



Page 

275, 27s 

250, 252 

. 35 

. 34 

. 38 

. 89 

13 

. 91 

. 105 

17 

. 13 

. 49 

. 49 

. 37 



247, 243 
. 44 
9 
. 17 
6, 225 
9 
. 135 
12, 25 
. 44 
79, 80 
. 237 
9 
. 130 
. 177 
. 105 
. 44 
9 
. 231 
. 23 
. 54 
5 5 
'. 24. 166 
275, 276 
36, 55 
. k'l 
. 133 
<i 

. 242 



328 



INDEX. 



Oxford, England 

Pacific Ocean 

Palmer, Abraham 

Palmer, Walter 

Parker. Brigadier-General Dan 

Parker, Captain James 

Parker. Hon. Joel. LL.D 

Parker, Hon. Leonard M 

Parker. Sarah D. 

Parry, J. R. 

Pawtttcket Falls 

Pearl-street Church, Charlesto 

Pelham, N. H. . 

Penn, James 

Pentucket Lodge. Lowell 

Pequossette Lodge Masons, V< 

Perronet, Rev. Edward 

Pevey, Abiel 

Pevey, G. A. A. 

Pevey, Louisa S. 

Pevey, Peter 

Phillips Academy. Andover 

Phillips. Henry 

1'hillips. Captain Timothy 

Phillips, Wendell 

Phinney, Elias . 

Phipps. Jedediah 

Phipps, Samuel 

F'hipps, Samuel, Jr. . 

Phipps. Solomon 

E'hipps-street Burial Ground 

Phips, Colonel David 

Physician and Surgeon, House 

Pierce, Captain William 

Pierce, President 

Pilgrims. The 

Pillsbury, Hon. A. L. 

Pond Feilde 

Popham, Me. 

Porter Apple, The 

Porter, Rev. Samuel 

Portsmouth. X. H. . 

Poulter, Rachel 

Praying Indians. The 

Prescott, Alfred A. . 



atertown 



Corn 



cti. 



Page 
. IT 
9 
. Hi 
. 16 
. 7:1 
75 
65 
59, 74, 7.~) 
75 
275, 278 
51 1 
. 37 
61, 62 
. 144 
. !H 
. 255 
. 36 
. 269 
266, 269 
. 269 
. 269 
21(i. 22!» 
. 146 
. 146 
. 175 
M. 172, 247 
. 30 
146, 168,203,221 
. 168 
. 203 

13, 25 
. 149 
. 274 
. 43 

157, 234 

. to 

217, 261 

14. 55 
55 

30 31 

. 30 

9, 15 

. 125 

43, 49, 51, 125 

. 209,211 



li 



INDEX. 



329 



Prescott, Benjamin 

Prescott. Colonel James 

Prescott, Hon. James 

Prescott, Joshua 

Prescott National Bank, Lowell 

Prescott, Hon. Oliver. M. D. 

Preston. Dr. Amariah 

Preston, Marshall 

Preston, Warren 

Probate and Insolvency, Assistant Regi 

Probate and Insolvency, Judges of 

Probate and Insolvency, Registers of 

Probation Officers, Superior Criminal 

Provincial Congress, The 

Puritan Blood ..... 

Putnam Lodge of Masons, Cambridge 

Pynchon, Hon. William 

Quakers, The 

Quaint Legislation by the Puritans 

Ramsay, J. P. . 

Randolph, John 

Rayner, Anna 

Rayner, Rev. John 

Read, Hon. J. Henry 

Read, J. Henry. Genealogy of 

Read, Joseph 

Read. Joshua 
Read, Mary A. F. 

Read, Mary H. 

Read, Mary P. . 

Read, Mary S. . 

Read, Ruth U. 

Read. Sarah F. 

Read, Thomas . 

Read. Thomas. Jr. . 

Read. Zaccheus 

Read. Zaccheus. Jr. . 

Reade, Alice W. 

Reade. Anna S. 

Reade. Esdras . 

Reade. Matthew 

Reade. Obadiah 

Reading 

Rebellion, The Great 

Registers of Deeds. Northern District 



149, 



Com 



12(5 



10. 



59, 



il. li 



IS, K 



Page 
. 195 
196 
. 196 

. I'll 
. 92 
. 195 
. 182 
181, 182 
. 182 
. 215 
. I'll 
. 203 
272, i'74 
. 36 
56, 57 
. iMl 
127 
56 
20, 21 
274, 277 
. Ho 
. 125 
. 125 
9, 113,212 
. HI 
. Ill 
. Ill 
. 112 
. Ill 
. Ill 
. Ill 
. Ill 
111 
111 
111 
111 
111 
111 
Ml 
111 
111 
111 
57 

52 
234 



330 



IXDEX. 



Registers of Deeds, Southern District 

Registers of Probate and Insolvency 

Remington, Hon. Jonathan 

Revere, Paul .... 

Revolution, The 

Rice, Governor Alexander H. 

Richards, L. H. 

Richardson, Daniel . 

Richardson, Captain Daniel 

Richardson, Hon. Daniel S. 

Richardson, Ezekiel 

Richardson, Hon. George F. 

Richardson, Judge J. P. . 

Richardson, Captain Josiah 

Richardson, Lieutenant Josiah 

Richardson. Mary A. 

Richardson, Captain William 

Richardson, Hon. William A. 

Robinson Crusoe 

Rogers, William E. . 

Roxbury ..... 

Royal Academy of London 

Royal Society of London 

Ruggles. Rev. Samuel 

Rumford, Count 

Rumford, N. H. 

Rumford Professorship. The . 

Russell, Hon. Daniel 

Russell, Hon. James 

Russell, Hon. James, 2d . 

Russell, Hon. Richard 

Russell, Governor William E. 

Saint Anne's Church, Lowell . 

Saint James Church, South Groveland 

Saint John's Church. Lowell . 

Saint John's R. A. Chapter 

Saint Paul's Lodge, Groton . 

Saint Thomas's Church. Dover. X. H. 

Salary County Recorder in lti'i!' 

Salary Keeper of Prison in liiiil 

Salem ..... 

Salisbury ..... 

Saltonstall. Sir Richard . 

Sanderson, Charlotte E. T. 

Sanderson, George A. 



59. 



13 



26 



Page 

. 221 

. 203 

. 192 

. 52 

. 52 

. Si i 

F6, 277 

!»1 

92 

61,91,237 

. ill 

92, 237 

. 2(17) 

65,91 
92 

. i»l 
. 92 
194, l!)!t 
. 80 

1. 215,216 

12, 43 
. 35 
126, l!ij 
. 148 
,29,31,33 
. 32 
. 31 

2. 133, 143 
132, 1!»1 

. 133 

o. 132, 143 

S!». 212 

38, 39 

. 237 

. 89 

. 63 

. (13 

. 237 

. 19 

. 19 

10, 12 

9 

. 255 

. 2(13 

2, 263, 271 



INDEX. 



:::;! 



Sanderson, George W. 
Sanger. Richard 
Sanger, Captain Samuel 
Saugus 

Saunders. Martin 
Saunders, Mary 
Saville, George W. \\ . 
Sawyer. Elihu .... 
Sawyer. John James . 

Scituate 

Scottish Highlanders. Forty-second Regiment of 
Seal, New County, Adopted July 1 
Seals of Cities and Towns. Middlesex County 
Selectmen of Concord, Fixed Prices of Commodities 
Selectmen of Chelmsford, Fixed Prices of Commodit 
Sewell, Judge .... 

Shaw, H. E 

Shaw, Chief Justice Lemuel . 
Shawmut and Mishawum 
Sherborn. Town of . 
Shepard. Rev. Thomas, of Cambridge 
Sheriffs, The Deputy 
Sheriffs of Middlesex County . 
Sherman, General William T. 
Sherwin, H. C. ... 

Shirley, Town of 
Sill, Captain .... 
Simonds, Lieutenant James 
Simonds, William 
Sioux City .... 

Sixth Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers 
Smith, Francis .... 
Smith. Captain John 
Smith, Mary .... 
Smith. Ralph N. 
Smith. Rev. S. F. . 
Smith, William 
Smith's Pond. Wakefield 
Somerville Journal. The . 
Somerville National Bank, The 
Soule, Richard, Jr. . 
South Reading Academy 
South Reading National Bank- 
Spanish War. The 
Sparhawk, Nathaniel 



35, 



Page 
. 263 
. 30 
30 
12 
. 12:, 
. 125 

277, 278 
. L82 

182, 183 
. 17 
. 105 

282-305 

. 21 

. -J I 

. 140 

16, 277. 278 

29,85,92 

. in 

. 30 

7 

. 276 

. 146 

103, 240 

270, 277 

75, Til. 7!» 

. 47 

. 32 

. 32 

u 

. 52 

. 99 

. 1<) 

. 99 

. iss 

Si I 

251 
99 
1 13 

1 1-", 
12 
99 

109 
52 

200 



L8i 



33? 



IXDEX. 



Society of the Cincinnati 

Special County Commissioners 

Special Sheriff .... 

Spot Pond .... 

Sprague. Anthony 

Sprague, Edward 

Sprague. Hannah 

Sprague, Joanna 

Sprague, John .... 

Sprague, Peleg W. . 

Sprague, Phineas 

Sprague, Ralph .... 

Sprague, Richard 

Sprague, Samuel 

Sprague, William 

Stamford 

Stearns, Hon. Asahel 

Stedman, John .... 

Stephenson, Robert . 

Stevens, Charles B. 

Stevens, George 

Stevens, Lieutenant-Colonel Henry 

Stevens, Hon. William B. 

Stickline, John .... 

Stiles, G. F 

Stone. Abigail .... 

Stone, Amos 

Stone, Hon. Arthur P. . 

Stone, Dr. William F. 

Stnneham Street Railway Companv 

Stonington .... 

Stony Brook Railroad Compam 

Stow, Town of .... 

Stowers. Nicholas 

Strawberry-Bank 

Strong. Hon. Simeon 

St. Petersburg 

Suburban Press Association 

Strange, D. T. . . . 

Suffolk-shire .... 

Swan, Albert G. ... 

Swan, Dr. Charles W. . 

Swan, Deborah B. . 

Swan. Hon. Joshua . 

Swan, Joshua, Jr. 



.'(I. L' 



.)•><! 



Page 

. 15J 

. 58 

272. 27G 

S, 124, 125 

14 

13 

55 

13 

13 

14 

13 

12, 13, 55 

12, 13, 14 

. 13 

12. 13. 14 

. 17 

244, 24:. 

. 131 

. 38 

230, 233 

254, 255 

230. 231 

257, 258 

17 

277, 280 

. 83 

140, 141 

. 271 

. 225 

. 109 

17, 3!) 

. IK) 

• 17 

. 17 

9 

. 135 

. 38 

. 143 



. 89 
. 89 

. 8!) 

;.!». ss, 89 

. 8!' 



INDEX. 



333 



ent 
din 



esto 



Swan. Dr. Thomas . 

Swan, Dr. William D. . 

Swayne, Major 

Sweetser, Michael 

Sweetser, Paul . 

Sweetser, Paid H. 

Sweetser, Samuel 

Sweetser, Sarah N. . 

Sweetser. Theodore H. 

Swett, Samuel 

Sudbury, Town of 

Sufferings and Privations of Early Settlers 

Supplement 

Superintendent Brush Department, House of Co 

Superintendent of County Bu 

Superintendent of Truant Sch 

Symmes. Rev. Zechariah, Cha 

Tea in Colonial Times 

Tewksbury, Town of 

Thomas' Almanac 

1 nomas. Isaiah 

Thompson, Benjamin (Count Rumford) 

Thompson, Hon. E. E. 

Thompson, Edward H. 

Thompson. Captain Joseph P 

Thoreau, Henry D. . 

Ticknor, Professor George 

Tidd, J. E. 

Tillinghast. Charles B. . 

Toll Bridges. Charles River 

Tolman. B. S. . 

Tompson, Lieutenant James 

Tower. Anna Vose . 

Tower, Hon. Augustus 58, 59, I 

Tower, Benjamin 
Tower. Charles 
Tower. John 
Tower. Margaret Ibrook 
Tower, Polly Leathe 

Townsend, Hon. David 58,59,6 

Townsend, Sarah J. . 
Train, Hon. Charles R. . 
Travis, George C. 
Treasurers of Governor and Company of the Massachusetts 
in New England 



Page 

. 203 
. 89 
. 125 
. 99 
99 
61, 98,99 
. 99 
. 99 
. 269 
. 30 



18 
272 
274 

28i i 
280 



20 
49 

215 
62 

.31 



230, 232 

7,239,240 

. 23 

. 30 

277, 280 

6 

77 

276, 277 

. 31 

65 

, 64,65, 71 

65 

67 

i <■> 

i 15 

67 

,70,71, 7:: 

. 71 

9,251, 252 

. 216 

Bay 

. 127 



384 



INDEX. 



Treasurers of Middlesex Count} 

Trinity College, Hartford 

Troy .... 

Trull. Larkin T. 

Tucker. S. W. . 

Tufts College 

Tuttle, Hon. John L. 

Tyler, Joseph H. 

Tyng. Captain William 

Union College, Schenectadj 

Union Harmony 

United Brethren Lodge. Masons 

United States Military Academy. T 

Upham, John 

Upham, Lois 

Upham, Mary S. 

Upham. Otis 

Upham, Lieutenant Phineas 

Upham, Samuel (). . 

Upway, County of Dorset, E 

Ursuline Convent, The 

Utah 

Utley, Dr. E. R. 

Valley Forge 

Vane, Sir Harry 

V'arnum, Hon. Benjamin F. . 

Varnum, Major-General Josepl 

Virginia 

Virginia, Sloop 

Vox Populi, Lowell. The 

Vermont & Massachusetts 

Wackenfeldt 

Wadlin, Horace G. . 

Waitt, Aaron 

Waitt Hon. Joseph H 

Waitt, Nancy C. 

Walford, Jane . 

Walford, Thomas 

Walker. Rev. James, D. D 

Walker, Rev. Robert 

Waltham Machine Shop 

Waltham, Town of . 

W r alsh, W. H. . 

Walton, Hon. Daniel G 

Walton, Elizabeth B. 



Ra 



road 



Mar 
he 



lbor 



Brad! 



mpan 



8, 5 





Page 




. 131 




215, -_'74 




. 261 




278, I'TIt 




. 258 




. 135 




210,211 




. 18(1 




. IT!) 




. 36 




. 115 




40 




. 117 




. 125 




. 117 




. 117 


:>!> 


Mi. i _ • 
. llii. 117 




. 13 








•274. -.'7!» 


101 


182, '-'tilt 


, id, 6 


3, 69, 157 




0!'. !•)' 

12, 47 




. 55 




. 251 




. !).' 




. 33 




6 




. 103 


:>!i 


102, 103 




. 103 




. 15 




. I-") 




65 




•_>74. 279 




. 89 




. 71 




278, -_'7!i 


59, (il 


106, 107 




. 107 



INDEX. 



;:;.-> 



Walton, James 

Walworth Manufacturing Company 

Wamesits, The .... 

War of 1812 

Ward, General Artemas . 

Wardwell, W. C. 

Warren, John .... 

Warren. Major-General Joseph, M. D. 

Warren. M. A. ... 

Warren, Mary .... 

Washington. General George . 

Waterman. Rev. Thomas . 

Water Mill. Near Spot Pond . 

Watertown .... 

Wayside Inn. Sudbury (ill.) 

Webster, Hon. Daniel 

Wentworth, Governor 

Wessagussett Colony 

Western Railroad 

West ford Academy . ■ . 

Westford Mutual Fire Insurance Compa 

Westminster Academy 

West Point .... 

West Newton .... 

West Townsend 

Wethersfield. Conn. 

Weymouth .... 

Whale, The Ship 

Wheeler, Abner 

Wheeler. Elizabeth Brooks-Hunt 

Wheeler, George 

Whipple, Captain John 

Whipple, Susannah . 

Whistler. Major George W. . 

Whistler. James Abbott McNeil 

Whistler, Major John 

Whitman. C. G. 

W'hitmore, Francis . 

Whitmore, Deacon John 

Whitmore, John. 2d . 

Whitmore, Rachel Eliot-Poulter 

Wier, Frederick N. . 

Wiggin, A. H. . 

Wilbraham Academy 

Willard, Rev. Mr. . 



Mil, 





P 


age 




107 






103 




4! 


. 50 
73 




278, 


279 




120, 


169 




279, 


36 
280 


120, 121, 


li;:> 


56, 179, 182, 


I'll!) 




87 






18 


12, 47 


. ->t\ ■>' 


', 79 
:»4 


30, £ 


7. l!»ti. 


217 
32 

38 




9, 109, 


212 
110 

in:, 




38, •'{!» 






7!) 




- 


7!» 

17 

15 

129 




58, 59 






(17 






109 






121 






124 






38 




38, 3! 


. 4n 
39 




278, 


27! > 




124, 


1 25 
125 
124 
125 




260, 


261 




279, 


280 

It;:', 
135 



336 



INDEX. 



Page 



Willard, Joseph A. . 
Willard, Ransom 
William the Conqueror 
Williams College 
Williams. Captain Thomas 
Williard, Major Simon 
Wilmington, Town of 
Wilson, Vice-President Henry 
Wilson, Rev. John . 
Winchester Historical Society 
Windsor .... 
Winship, Hon. Thomas . 
Winslow, Henry H. 
Winthrop. Hon. James 
Winthrop, Governor John 

43, 51, .v.. ill. 120, 124, 1 
Winthrop, Professor John 
Winthrop, Hon. William 
Wisconsin Assembly, The 
Woburn .... 
Woodbury, Hon. Levi 
Worcester, Town of. 
Worthen Street, Lowell . 
Wright, Asahel B. . 
Wright. Zaccheus 
Wyman .... 
Wyoming 
Wyoming Lodge of Masons, Melrose 
"Sale University 
Ye Newe Society. A. B. C. D. 
Ybrktown 
Youncr, B. M. . 



». i; 



it. 144. 1( 



.'4. 2< 
8, !». In, 12 
!9, 195, -Ji'S. 
100, 195 



■ )"•> 


182 

•>7<l 


121, 


It'' 

169 


200, 


•_'•_'!> 




65 


9, 21 


, 24 


2( 


. 32 




177 




i 




212 




17 




109 




267 


-<»7, 


208 


•)■)■> 


•_'ii7 


■_'ii7. 
24, 


.).,.) 
•)•)•) 


. 252 

7, 13, 57 




137 




4u 


234, 


236 




153 




203 

!l 


-'47. 


123 
263 




48 



■2TS, _ J 7!» 



90 7 



